Poison Awareness for Pets: 10 Common Foods and Household Items to Avoid

Though they may act like humans much of the time, dogs and cats…are not exactly human. Because of this, some things that we as people find completely harmless are actually very harmful to animals!

You don’t want to give your dog or cat something that will hurt him, so check out our listing of 10 substances that can be very dangerous to your pet. Some are obvious, but others may be edible to you, but not them!

Chocolate

The food of the gods, the charming substance that we share with our loves on Valentine’s Day, the delicious treat that you probably don’t want to share with anyone, should never be shared with your pet!

This is a good thing–it means more for you! But it is true that chocolate is indeed bad for pets.

While you may already be aware of this fact however, often times, kids are not. And kids are often the most generous of all people with their pets!

Easter is just around the corner and many of our young ones will have loads of chocolate to share with their friends, siblings, family members…and pets.

Take a moment to sit down with your kids to explain that feeding chocolate to their furry best friend is a bad idea and could make him very sick, or even result in a fatality.

Candies

Most candies and store-bought sweets have ingredients in them that are not good for your pets.
A lot of processed foods are not even healthy for us but can even be more detrimental to a pet’s health, causing heart problems and other issues. So keep your pup or kitten away from such things!

Some Fruits, Veggies, and Edible Plants

Some fruits and veggies are very harmful for pets. Again, it is small little chemicals within the makeup of such veggies and fruits that can really do a lot of damage. Sometimes only the seeds or skin of a plant can be dangerous, while other times, the fleshy part of a produce product can be the problem: scan through this list to see what you need to help your pet avoid!

• Avocados
• Grapes
• Mushrooms
• Mustard seeds
• Onions
• Peaches
• Potatoes
• Raisins
• Rhubarb
• Tomatoes
• Apples
• Apricots
• Plums

This list is not comprehensive, so always be careful with human food, but from this list you can see that not everything at the dinner table can go to the dog!

Sometimes the leftover scraps your puppy begs for may not be good for him.

Alcohol

Chances are, this is a no-brainer, but just the same, it’s good to note that alcohol is actually more toxic for animals than it is for humans. It can quickly affect a dog’s brain and liver. So never in any way let your pet lap up a spill or otherwise ingest alcohol. The effects can be lethal.

Caffeine

Coffee, tea, soda, you name it. If it has caffeine in it, it is bad for your pet! So often, that which is somewhat bad for humans is very bad for animals!

Caffeine can actually be deadly for your pet (and this includes the caffeine spilled coffee beans your pet may be curious about). Giving your pet coffee or tea in his water bowl seems unlikely, but since the dangers of any caffeinated beverage is so high, we thought you should know!

Signs of caffeine intake may include restlessness and random twitching. Call your vet right away if he seems to have ingested some.

Dairy Products

We all like to give in when our pet begs, but the next time you’re eating that bowl of vanilla ice cream, don’t share!

Dairy products are not for dogs. Some dogs and even cats can get an upset stomach from milk and many other dairy products because they can’t digest the lactose within it. They may suffer from an upset stomach or other symptoms, like gas, diarrhea or vomiting.

So if you want your pet to have a happy day, help them stay away from the dairy products of life!

Various Kinds of Nuts

You don’t often see animals in the wild chowing down on a meal of nuts. This might be because their bodies don’t always react kindly to the stuff!

Macadamia nuts, walnuts, and various other varieties can weaken your pet and cause vomiting, shaking, and other sadly unfortunate symptoms. So if you make banana nut bread or are munching on some trail mix while reading a book, don’t pass it on if you can help it.

Cleaning Solutions

Your pup or kitten might not know that you just mopped the floor with a heavy concentration of cleaner, or cleaned out the toilet boil recently with a bleach concentrate.

So if your pet licks something off the floor or decides to go get a drink of water from the toilet when his bowl is empty…you might actually be endangering the life of your pet. Traces of cleaner are not good for your pet, just as they would not be good for you.

Try to be very aware of your pets in your placement of cleaner and keep your pets away from freshly mopped floors etc.!

Pesticides and Other Chemicals

When we’re trying to get rid of rodents, insects, or other pests, we often spray away but forget about our furry friends that are very close to the ground and other places where we spray those chemicals.

Insecticides, pesticides, antifreeze, and even chemicals for your pool or spa are all dangerous for pets.

Keep your furry friends in mind when you use them. Maybe let your cat outside and keep entryways to get back in the house closed when you treat your floors with any of these chemicals.

And your puppy can enjoy a day outside in the beautiful sunshine to romp around in his pen! Keeping your dog and cat away from these chemicals is the best way to prevent them from accidentally licking some up and ingesting poison that can cause them a whole lot of stomach pain or worse!

Raw Meat

It makes sense that because animals out in the wild eat raw meat, surely our pets can too. But this is just not the case.

First of all, animals out in the wild may not actually be as healthy as one might hope. Worms, parasites and other issues can spring from eating anything raw, including eggs and meat.

Secondly, pampered pets do not always have the heartiest of stomachs, so when they try something that is raw and “natural,” they can still get a stomach ache or have other uncomfortable issues.

Better to feed your pets standard pet food or do some research to see how to prepare more natural foods in the safest and healthiest ways!

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Always use your best judgement in keeping your pet safe from harm, and be careful with the food you provide! We hope this helps you feel a little bit more informed as a pet parent!