Many people think of their pets as if they were members of the family. This means that you might be tempted to offer an animal some food intended for people since you want to share delicious snacks with your loved ones.
At Rainbow Veterinary Hospital, our team has experience treating pets that have grown dangerously ill because their owners unwittingly gave them people food that can be toxic and dangerous to animals. We’d like to help you avoid making the same mistakes. Read on for information about toxic foods that you should never allow your pets to consume.
Poisonous Food for Dogs
Your hungry dog is often on the lookout for tempting foods to eat. Since canines cannot always tell if human food is actually harmful, responsible pet owners must keep poisonous food for dogs out of reach and never offer them to the animal.
Chocolate, while a delightful treat for humans, is toxic to dogs. Since dogs will scarf down food in a blink of an eye, they are more prone to consuming dangerous levels of theobromine, a stimulant that is bitter tasting and found in large amounts in chocolate (particularly in dark chocolate).
Grapes and their dried counterpart’s raisins also pose a risk to dogs because they can lead to kidney failure. You should also keep your dog away from food containing garlic or onions, because these ingredients can destroy red blood cells, resulting in anemia.
Even something as innocuous looking as a piece of candy or stick of gum containing the sweetener xylitol can cause damage, leading to a dangerous drop in your dog’s blood sugar and even liver failure.
Poisonous Food for Cats
Cats may sometimes appear to be picky or finicky eaters, content to eat just their favorite brand of pet food. But just as with dogs, there are people foods that turn out to be poisonous food for cats.
For example, many cats are lactose intolerant, so if they consume dairy products (such as a saucer of cream that you thought the feline enjoy), they can wind up vomiting and having diarrhea.
While preparing meals in the kitchen, you might find it tempting to feed your pet cat some raw meat, raw eggs or some fat trimmings as a reward. But these foods can lead to the cat vomiting, with worst-case scenarios developing pancreatitis. The potential for E. coli and Salmonella is also high when feeding these types of foods.
As with dogs, it is dangerous to feed your cat garlic, onions or chocolate.
When to Take Your Pet to the Vet
If your pet is showing signs of food poisoning or if you know it has ingested a toxic food meant for people, such as chocolate or grapes that you discovered are now missing, it’s imperative to bring the animal in for diagnosis and treatment.
Do not hesitate to contact us at 818-846-1166 if you have any concerns about toxic food your pet may have consumed.
If You Think Your Pet Has Consumed Toxic Food, Connect with Rainbow Veterinary Hospital Now
It’s a pet owner’s worst nightmare, realizing that an animal has accidentally eaten something that is harmless for people but dangerous for pets to eat. If your pet has grown ill from poisonous food, we are standing by to help. For details on our detoxification services or to make an appointment for care, please contact Rainbow Veterinary Hospital at 818-846-1166 today.
