How would you feel if you were responsible for the death of your beloved dog? Or you see your adorable cat hiding under your bed trying to grasp its last breath of air; while fear and sadness fill your whole body not knowing what went wrong? Most pet owners probably would not want to even think of such a situation. In fact, most pet owners try to stay away from the dreaded thought that they rather not know the 10 toxic foods that can kill their pet…..Or would they?
Whether you have a dog, bird or hamster the foods listed below should allow you to identify poisonous foods that can risk your pet’s life. As a responsible pet owner it’s your responsibility to know what foods can harm your pet or even kill them. So pay close attention to the 10 deadly foods that can kill your pet.
Toxic #1
Chocolate. Yes we all love it. The nice rich texture that melts in our mouth causing time to stop while we wait for the next bite. A BIG NO! Chocolate has a substance called theobromine that can cause dogs, cats, birds, and even small animals to get extremely ill and potentially die. The reason behind this is because most animals unlike humans don’t have the enzymes to break the chemicals found in chocolate. The science behind it will not save your pet but knowing the side effects can help you identify chocolate poising and keep it away from your companion. Depending on the size of your pet, the intake of chocolate will cause your pet to urinate frequently which causes a huge threat as your pet can die from dehydration. Vomiting, diarrhea, muscles contractions, panting and an unusually hyper excited pet are other signs of chocolate poisoning. Relating to the unusually excited pet is another side effect which can be life threating is an overstimulated heart rate which can sometimes be seen pounding intensely and can eventually stop dead. Furthermore, your pet may still be alive but be unconscious or unresponsive because of a coma which is another sever side effect that will leave you and your pet in distress.
Don’t put you’re yourself in a situation that going to make you suffer the loss of your pet because of something so sweet as chocolate. Keep it away and if it so happens that your pet took a mouthful of chocolate contact your vet as soon as possible.
Toxin #2
Fruit? What!?. There must be a mistake, fruits are supposed to be good for humans and animals right? Well I’m not talking about fruits but the seeds and pits that are in them. Apple seeds, peach, plum and cherry pits are very dangerous for both us humans and animals. We may eat a few seeds by accident and that ok. But in large quantities we as human can die from cyanide poising. The same goes for pets but it can be much more dangerous as animals typically eat through anything in their path without leaving anything behind. Furthermore, depending on the size of your pet the contamination level can be more effective. Small animal and bird owners especially need to know to avoid fruit seeds and pits since fruits are part of their pet’s regular diet. What is cyanide poising? Well let’s just say cyanide will not allow your pets organs to take in oxygen and thus causing them to fail. This will happen almost instantly as your pet will become stressed and then start to show symptoms. Breathing heavily, shivering, vomiting, urinating and excessive bowel movements are all clear indicators of possible cyanide poisoning.
I would recommend rushing to the vet as soon as possible to avoid death as it will happen instantly.
Toxin #3
I personally love avocadoes as they seem to be great with a bit of milk and a sprinkle of sugar. But of course this is a fruit that needs to stay away from most pets. Being a bird owner I know what avocadoes can do to a bird and fortunately I have not had to deal with this in my aviary. Avocadoes have a substance called persin which causes birds to have breathing issues which will lead to death. Small animals like rabbits and hamsters also have side effects due to the consumption of avocadoes which involve complications with the heart and blood vessels. I would keep avocados away from cats and dogs especially because of many horror stories that have been heard. When it comes to dogs some owners say their dogs have no issues with eating avocadoes while others have had bad traumatising deaths. Keep in mind some dogs have choked to death by swallowing the pit which is another hazard. Rule of thumb, there are other foods that your pet will enjoy, don’t risks its life for an avocado that you can enjoy yourself.
Toxin #4
Garlic and Onions. Yes that’s right, both of these can cause a stink of sickness. Onions have heavily been regarded as a danger to dogs, cats, birds and small animals due to the damage it causes to red blood cells by destroying them. Likewise the same goes for garlic except there are some pet owners that use garlic for flea control and other benefits. The only possible way which I would recommend garlic is if you run it buy your vet and use it cautiously in small amounts. But as I always say, “don’t risk for a dish”. Red blood cells transport oxygen all over your pets body and when they start to decrease due to the consumption of onions and garlic your pet is in risk of illness or even death (of course this varies depending on the size of your pet and its intake). Symptoms of garlic or onion poisoning are a fast heat rate, heavy breathing, vomiting, dark yellow urine, and discolouring of skin, eyes or gums. Besides the illness of your pet, the stinky breath after eating an onion or garlic can be something that you would not want to experience.
Toxin #5
Keep this away although we still don’t know why. Grapes and raisins have caused many issues for some pets such as dogs and cats. Although there is no specific toxin discovered yet, issues include severe rapid kidney failure and vomiting. Small animals and birds on the other hand love the juicy fresh fruit and have no issues related to it. As for dog and cat owners, keep grapes and raisins away as they will harm your pet or potentially cause death.
Toxin #6
Tomato or tamato? Fruit or vegetable? Who would have thought a tomato would cause so many problems? That’s right guys, it seems that our beloved pets need to stay form yet another dangerous food that nature has created. Tomatoes, their leaves and stems can cause pets to become sick, vomit, and cause confusion and diarrhea. Unripe tomatoes cause more of a threat as the toxin levels are higher which causes your pet to become terribly ill. Furthermore, certain pets cannot take in the high acidic levels of tomatoes and have even vomited out blood. Some pet owners of dogs and cats may argue that tomatoes are healthy and are in the ingredients of the food that they eat, but there is a difference between manufactured food and fresh foods. Avoid any part of a tomato and keep your pets safe.
Toxin #7
I thought things couldn’t get any bitter. Yup you’ve guessed it, keep your coffee mug away from your furry, feathered or scaly friend as caffeine is very harmful. Rule of thumb, KEEP ANYTHING WITH CAFFEINE AWAY! That means tea, coffee, chocolate etc. Just like it does to us humans, caffeine will speed up your pet’s heart rate and cause over excitement. The problem here is most pets cannot brake down the toxins in coffee and this can lead to serious issues like seizures and nervous system complications. If your pet shows any abnormalities after consumption of any caffeine contact your vet as soon as possible.
Toxin #8
You might like drinking a bit of the magic juice and having some fun with your friends. Maybe later you might start wobbling as you walk down steps, or start slurring your speech. But it’s ok because you most likely will forget everything in the morning as your head pounds and you find yourself on some ones bathroom floor. Alcohol is ok for humans to drink moderately but it is a no no for pets. Seems like common sense but most people (including pet owners) lack what we humans call “common”. If your pet takes even a small amount its life will be seriously in danger. Because animals break down things a little differently than humans, some of the things that can do little harm to us can do great damage to pets. Another way that your pet can be prone to alcohol poisoning is if it gets yeast dough as yeast will become alcohol in its stomach. Relating to that because most pets are much smaller than us humans and the risk of alcohol poisoning is far greater. Keep your drinks amongst your friends and yourself and enjoy a night out instead of at the veterinary clinic.
Toxin #9
You can boil them, fry them, and even mash them…Yup it’s a potato. I love my potatoes mashed with a bit of salt, pepper and gravy but I make sure to cut off the green parts first. Have you ever wondered why we keep potatoes in a dark cool place? Its cause when tomatoes get sunlight toxins and chlorophyll start to become concreted in one place and turn parts of the potato green. If you ever see a green part on a potato cut it off or toss it away! If you do give your pet potatoes, make sure your pet does not digest any green potatoes as it can cause your pet to suffer a great deal of pain. Humans (typically the elderly and children) can possibly die if a large quantity of toxic potatoes have been digest but depending on your pet, even a small amount of this highly toxic root can cause death.
Toxin #10
I left this last toxin for all the pet owners that wish to share a toxic food that can kill your pet! This can give everyone else some knowledge on something that I missed. If you know a human food that will cause serious harm to your pet let us all know! We need to always be alert and in the lookout to dangerous foods that can harm the pets we love.