Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet

• Alcoholic beverages

• Avocado

• Chocolate (all forms)

• Coffee (all forms)

• Fatty foods

• Macadamia nuts

• Mouldy or spoiled foods

• Onions, onion powder

• Raisins and grapes

• Salt

• Yeast dough

• Garlic

Warm Weather Hazards

• Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions

• Blue-green algae in ponds

• Citronella candles

• Compost piles Fertilizers

• Flea products

• Outdoor plants and plant bulbs

• Swimming-pool treatment supplies

• Fly baits

• Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde

Medication

Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:

• Pain killers

• Cold medicines

• Anti-cancer drugs

• Antidepressants

• Vitamins

• Diet Pills

Garden Hazards

• Antifreeze

• Ice melting products

• Rat and mouse bait

Common Household Hazards

• Liquid potpourri

• Fabric softener sheets

• Mothballs

• Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc)

Holiday Hazards

• Christmas tree water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach.

• Electrical cords

• Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction—most often occurs with kittens!)

• Batteries

• Glass ornaments

Non-toxic Substances for Dogs and Cats

The following substances are considered to be non-toxic, although they may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some animals:

• Water-based paints

• Toilet bowl water

• Silica gel

• Poinsettia

• Cat litter

• Glue traps

The most common poisons

Antifreeze

Antifreeze is said to be sweet and animals like to eat it. But ingestion of antifreeze can be fatal if untreated.

Ethylene glycol is metabolised by the liver and travels in the bloodstream to the kidneys, where it forms insoluble crystals. Once metabolism of the ethylene glycol has reached a certain point, there is no way to stop it. These crystals are insoluble, there is no way to remove them from the body. They cause permanent damage to the kidney tissue, which can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

An animal that has ingested ethylene glycol must receive immediate medical attention. Those caught in the act of drinking the antifreeze have the best chance of survival because medical attention can be administered immediately.

Initial signs of antifreeze poisoning are depression and lethargy. Animals may seem groggy or drunk. The final stages of poisoning are characterised by vomiting, oral and gastric ulcers, and renal failure, followed by death. The initial signs can last from 1 to 6 hours and death may occur between 3 to 4 days.

Most antifreeze products that contain ethylene glycol have a fluorescent dye added so they glow under a UV light. If antifreeze poisoning is suspected, a quick and inexpensive way to determine if antifreeze was ingested is to have your veterinarian shine the light on the muzzle, paws, and under the tail of the animal. If antifreeze residue is present, the hair will glow.

Treatment for ethylene glycol poisoning can be expensive and can require extended hospitalisation. In addition, treatment is not always successful if the product has been metabolised. For this reason, prevention is essential. Regardless of what kind of antifreeze you use, it is important to keep pets out of it. Watch for leaks in your car and keep pets away from the area where antifreeze is stored. If you drain your antifreeze, do not leave it in an open container because animals will be attracted to it. Dispose of this waste properly and keep empty and full antifreeze containers away from dogs, who may be tempted to chew on them. Even people who do not have pets should follow these rules to avoid accidentally poisoning wild animals and pets belonging to other people.

There are newer brands of antifreeze on the market that use propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol is commonly found in such products as lotions, creams, and toothpaste and is not as toxic as ethylene glycol. If at all possible, it is best to choose an antifreeze that does not contain ethylene glycol.

Slug and Snail Bait (Metaldehyde)

Did You know…certain products used for the control of slugs and snails contain metaldehyde, which can potentially be very dangerous or even lethal to pets?

Depending on the amount ingested, these metaldehyde-containing baits can rapidly produce clinical effects, from within a few minutes to a couple of hours after ingestion. Signs can range from drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, panting and anxiety to in coordination, increased heart rate, dilated pupils, seizures, central nervous system depression, coma and death from respiratory failure.

Pet owners should exercise extreme caution when using metaldehyde-containing baits, taking steps to ensure that the product is applied only to areas completely inaccessible to pets. Any unused bait should be stored in a secure container and cabinet out of the reach of pets. Alternatively, other less toxic formulations of snail and slug bait could be considered, such as those containing ferric phosphate.

Some slug pellets have a note on the packaging stating they are animal friendly or animal repellent. This is because they contain ingredients that do not taste nice so that pets will not eat them. Please do not use these products without care as many pets will still eat them regardless.

Avocado

Did You Know… Avocado is not an advisable food to give to pets? Avocado leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxic principle known as Persin. The Guatemalan variety, which is the most common variety found in stores, appears to be the most problematic.

Chocolate

Did you know…chocolate can be harmful or even deadly to pets?

Depending on the form involved, chocolate can contain high amounts of fat and caffeine-like substances known as methylxanthines. If ingested in significant amounts, chocolate can potentially produce clinical effects ranging from vomiting and diarrhoea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases.

Typically, the darker the chocolate, the higher the potential for clinical problems from methylxanthine poisoning. White chocolate has the lowest methylxanthine content, while baking chocolate contains the highest. As little as 20 ounces of milk chocolate, or only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog. While white chocolate may not have the same potential as darker forms to cause a methylxanthine poisoning, the high fat content of lighter chocolates could still lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as the possible development of life-threatening pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas.

Onions, Garlic, Chives

Did You Know… Onions, garlic, chives and other species of the plant genus Allium can be potentially toxic to pets?

Allium species contain sulphur compounds known as disulphides, which if ingested in large quantities can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could even result in damage to red blood cells. While cats are more sensitive to disulfides, dogs and other species of animals are also susceptible to Allium poisoning if enough plant material is consumed.

Fruits

The peels, fruit and seeds of citrus plants such as lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruits contain varying amounts of citric acid, limonin and volatile oils that can cause gastrointestinal irritation such as vomiting or diarrhoea if ingested. In some cases, exposures to high concentrations of these substances (such as those found in certain citrus-based cleaners) could possibly result in central nervous system depression as well. The stems, leaves and seeds of apples, cherries, peaches, apricots and certain other fruit trees contain cyanogenic glycosides that have the potential to cause vomiting and loss of appetite, and in severe cases weakness, in coordination, difficulty in breathing, hyperventilation, shock, coma and even death could occur.

Top Ten Poisonous Plants

Lilies

Members of the Lilium spp. are considered to be highly toxic to cats. While the poisonous component has not yet been identified, it is clear that with even ingestions of very small amounts of the plant, severe kidney damage could result.

Marijuana

Ingestion of Cannabis sativa by companion animals can result in depression of the central nervous system and in coordination, as well as vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, increased heart rate, and even seizures and coma.

Sago Palm

All parts of Cycas Revoluta are poisonous, but the seeds or “nuts” contain the largest amount of toxin. The ingestion of just one or two seeds can result in very serious effects, which include vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, seizures and liver failure.

Tulip/Narcissus bulbs

The bulb portions of Tulipa/Narcissus spp. contain toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities

Azalea/Rhododendron

Members of the Rhododenron spp. contain substances known as grayantoxins, which can produce vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea, weakness and depression of the central nervous system in animals. Severe azalea poisoning could ultimately lead to coma and death from cardiovascular collapse

Oleander

All parts of Nerium oleander are considered to be toxic, as they contain cardiac glycosides that have the potential to cause serious effects—including gastrointestinal tract irritation, abnormal heart function, hypothermia and even death.

Castor Bean

The poisonous principle in Ricinus communis is ricin, a highly toxic protein that can produce severe abdominal pain, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, weakness and loss of appetite. Severe cases of poisoning can result in dehydration, muscle twitching, tremors, seizures, coma and death

Cyclamen

Cylamen species contain cyclamine, but the highest concentration of this toxic component is typically located in the root portion of the plant. If consumed, Cylamen can produce significant gastrointestinal irritation, including intense vomiting. Fatalities have also been reported in some cases.

Kalanchoe

This plant contains components that can produce gastrointestinal irritation, as well as those that are toxic to the heart, and can seriously affect cardiac rhythm and rate.

Yew

Taxus spp. contains a toxic component known as taxine, which causes central nervous system effects such as trembling, in coordination, and difficulty breathing. It can also cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac failure, which can result in death

What to do if your pet has been poisoned

Don’t panic

Call your veterinary surgery immediately

If you know what your pet has ingested, make a note or bring down the packaging it may have been contained in. This will help the veterinary surgeon decide on the correct treatment.