Treating our companions to some of the foods we relish can be very dangerous to pets. Find here a guide to some of the common dangers in a household including a list of toxic foodstuffs, human medication, poisons, plants, and more.
Protecting your pet
There are a number of things every pet owner can do to protect their pet, here are a few pointers:-
Ensure all household chemicals are stored in a safe place and out of reach from pets- Be wary of pets that scavenge food and items from your household bin, making sure you safely dispose of medicine, chemicals and food.
- If you are using poisons in the house or garden, prevent your pet from entering the contaminated area.
- Use alternatives to baits (ie rat and snail baits). If you must use cockroach baits keep them well out of reach from pets.
- Only give your pet medication that is recommended by your veterinarian
- Feed your pet a nutritionally balanced diet
An animal doesn't have to directly eat or drink a toxin to become poisoned. For example if a cat lies in a garden that has been sprayed with insecticide or weed killer traces can get on the cat, which the cat will then ingest during grooming.
Human medication
Human drugs including common pain killers can cause severe complications in pets. Please ask your veterinarian before giving your pet any human medication or drugs. Cats are extremely sensitive to both aspirin and acetamaminophen (such as Panadol) and can be poisoned by "human" sized doses. Two regular acetaminophen tablets could kill a cat. Aspirin poisoning may take longer but can also be fatal.
Milk (Lactose)
Cats & dogs are frequently lactose intolerant, so avoid feeding them cow's milk and other dairy products. Although your pet might like eating these foods, they could result in digestive distress.
Chocolate toxicity
Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a pet can become excited and hyperactive. Theobromine will either increase the dog's heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise.
After a pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within 24 hours.
Cocoa Powder & cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a pet unwell.
This includes cakes with the above ingredients especially mud cakes. Read more about chocolate toxicity here
Onion & Garlic
Onions & garlic contain a toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger. Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the red blood cells burst apart while circulating in the body.
At first, pets affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting & diarrhoea. They will show no interest in food & will be dull & weak. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected animal's urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number.
Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeat meals containing small amount of onion.
Poisonous plants
Your pet may have a sensitivity or allergy to a plant resulting in toxicity. Always contact your veterinarian immediately, if you think your pet may have ingested a poisonous plant. Select this link to read more on pets and poisonous plants
Snail baits - a special note on 'pet friendly' baits
Various manufactures claim their snail baits are 'pet friendly'. They make this claim on the basis that the bait includes a bittering agent. Bittering agents only act as a deterrent. There are some pets that will still eat the baits which are extremely toxic. We recommend that these products are used with great caution. If your pet does ingest these baits please contact us immediately.
Parasite control products - species specific
Please read the instructions carefully on all parasite control products. Some common supermarket flea treatments for dogs are toxic to cats.
List of toxic household items to pets
(Please note: this is not a complete list of items that may be toxic to your pet)
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Alcohol
Antifreeze
Aromatherapy oils
Aspirin
Avocado flesh & pip
Bleach
Boric Acid
Broccoli (large amounts)
Brake Fluid
Cleaning Fluid
Chocolate
Cigarette, tobacco, cigars
Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)
Deodorants and deodorizers
Detergent
Disinfectants
Dye
Furniture Polish
Fungicides
Garlic
Herbicides
Hops (used in home brewing)
Insecticides
Laxatives
Lead - read more about lead poisoning here
Macadamia nuts
Marijuana
Metal Polish
Mineral Spirits
Mouldy /spoiled foods
Mothballs
Nail Polish& Remover
Paint
Paint Remover Preservatives
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches & apricots, apple core pips (contains cyanogenic glysides resulting in cyanide poisoning)
Petrol
Potato peeling & green looking potatoes
Raisins & grapes
Rat/Ant Poison
Rhubarb leaves
Rubbing Alcohol
Shoe polish
Snail/slug bait
Suntan Lotion
Tar
Téflon
Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)
Weed killer
Windshield washer fluid
Wood
Yeast dough
Zinc
What to do if you think your pet is showing signs of poisoning
If you suspect your pet is acting out of the normal or may have had access to a potential toxin do not delay in seeking veterinary attention.
There are several signs of poisoning but these also vary on the type of toxin involved. Here are just some of the signs that indicate toxicity:-
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- increased urination
- restlessness
- hyperactivity
- muscle twitching or shaking
- seizures
