Pets
Dangerous TidbitsDid you know that there are several common, everyday "people" foods that can be toxic to your pets??? Chocolate is one, poisonous to both dogs and cats. It can produce symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, coma and can be fatal. If your pet ingests any form of chocolate, contact your vet immediately. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, the cause of the toxicity. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. Therefore, dark chocolates such as baking chocolate are toxic in much smaller amounts than white chocolate. ALL chocolate is toxic, and should NEVER be fed to pets in ANY form. For an excellent resource in just how much - or how little, actually - chocolate could poison a dog or cat, look on www.pets.ca. They have a great section showing the amount of each type of chocolate per pound of the animal's body weight it takes to produce a toxic response. Grapes and raisins are another food that can be very harmful to your pet. All types of grapes and raisins (including homegrown grapes) are deadly. While the majority of grape and raisin poisoning has been in dogs, the Animal Poison Control Center discourages feeding them to other domesticated animals such as cats and ferrets, as some reports of poisoning in those species have also surfaced. Symptoms of gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea etc) generally appear 6-24 hours after consumption, followed by kidney problems. If your pet has ingested grapes or raisins in any form, contact your vet quickly. Those animals progressing into the stage of kidney problems have only a guarded to poor prognosis. Here is a list of foods posted on the Animal Poison Control Center website to avoid feeding your pets: - Alcoholic beverages
- Avocado
- Chocolate (all forms)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Fatty foods
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions, onion powder
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic
- Products sweetened with xylitol
Again, always contact your veterinarian quickly if you suspect your pet has ingested any of these toxic substances! For more in depth information, visit the Animal Poison Control Center website at www.aspca.org. | 
