Dec 08
dog eating chocolate

Pantry Toxins to Avoid Feeding your Pet

It’s important to remember that our pets may be drawn to foods that we enjoy, but what’s harmless for us can be harmful for them. Stay proactive in safeguarding your furry friend’s health by learning about foods that could pose a danger and ensuring they’re inaccessible. Your dedication could truly be a lifesaver for your beloved companion.

Common kitchen items that are not okay for dogs:

Alcohol

Affects range from depression, difficulty walking, slow breathing, collapse, peeing, and possibly death in dogs and cats.

Bread dough

The dough expands in the tummy causing it to distend to a point that can affect their breathing; the yeast also ferments to ethanol causing alcohol toxicity in dogs and cats.

Chocolate

Not surprisingly, chocolate ingestion is one of the most common ingestion questions we see. Signs range from an upset tummy to hyperactivity, seizures, abnormal heart rhythm and possibly death in dogs and cats.

Coffee

Coffee or any product containing caffeine needs to be avoided. Signs of ingestion can include hyperactivity, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures and possibly death in dogs and cats.

Garlic & Onions

In large amounts, onions and garlic can cause the destruction of red blood cells and lead to anaemia in dogs and cats.

Fatty foods

Even small amounts of food high in fat can cause an upset tummy, or worse, pancreatitis in dogs and cats.

Macadamia nuts

These are known to be toxic to dogs and can lead to symptoms such as weakness, vomiting, tremors, and even temporary paralysis.

Medications

Human and veterinary medications should be monitored and kept out of reach of pets at all times. Never administer human medications, to pets without calling your veterinarian first.

Sultanas/Grapes

When it comes to grapes there is no specific toxic dose. For that reason, it is safest to assume that every dog and cat can become very unwell from even a low dose. Because sultanas and raisins are a more concentrated version of a grape, symptoms with raisin ingestion are often more severe.

The worst case scenario is that grapes can cause acute kidney failure which is extremely serious – you may not see any signs of disease for 1-2 days following ingestion. Learn more here.

Xylitol

This artificial sweetener, commonly found in sugar-free gum and some baked goods, is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause rapid insulin release, leading to a life threatening drop in blood sugar and liver failure.

What to do when these are eaten? 

If your pet consumes any, contact your vet ASAP. Swift action can save their life!

Worried about something your pet has eaten? Chat with our vets
Our experienced Aussie vets are online, and available within minutes 24/7. 
If you need help, don’t hesitate to start a chat

About The Author

Claire is a QLD graduate with 19 years experience as a neighbourhood Veterinarian in Australia and the UK. Animal lover and the founder of VetChat, born from a passion to help pet carers everywhere access trusted advice earlier, for healthier, happier pets. Grateful to be carer to her beautiful Red-dog.