Common Foods That Are Harmful Or Even Fatal to Dogs
Many common foods are actually harmful or even fatal to dogs. Some of these (listed below) will surprise you. Others are things you would never give your dog purposefully, but now you will be more careful to not let them be in your dog's reach. And some just need to be limited to small amounts. Avocados (fruit, pit, and plant) are toxic to dogs. Avocados contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. They are high in fat and can trigger stomach upset, vomiting and even pancreatitis. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown. The effects on dogs and cats are not completely understood. GI signs are commonly seen and should be treated symptomatically. In addition, the animal should be monitored closely for other clinical signs related to the cardiovascular system. (This information comes from veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medicine Association, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.) Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness, and breathing difficulty. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. This includes onions or chives - raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked. Large amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions. Garlic contains only a small amount of the problematic substance that is in onions. Just as with people, moderation is the key. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill him. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly. Tomatoes (plant and fruit) contain tomatine, an alkaloid related to solanine. As the fruit ripens, the tomatine is metabolized. Therefore, ripe tomatoes are less likely to be problematic for animals. Clinical signs of poisoning include lethargy, drooling, difficulty breathing, colic, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, widely-dilated pupils, paralysis, cardiac effects, central nervous system signs (e.g., ataxia, muscle weakness, tremors, seizures), resulting from cholinesterase inhibition, coma and death. (This information comes from veterinarians, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.) (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are poisonous to humans, although some people are sensitive to the ripe fruit also.) Tomatoes also contain atropine, which can cause dilated pupils, tremors, and heart arrhythmias. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, with less in unripe (green) tomatoes, and even less in ripe (red) tomatoes. Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death. Caffeine (from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours. Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die. Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary. Walnuts. When dogs eat the seed hulls, they can get an upset stomach and diarrhea. The real problem is the fungus or mold that attacks walnuts after they get wet (from rain or sprinklers), which produces toxins. If the fungus or mold is ingested by your dogs, they can become very ill and possibly die. Signs that should alert you to walnut poisoning are vomiting, trembling, drooling, lack of coordination, lethargy, loss of appetite, and jaundice indications such as yellowing eyes and gums. Severely affected dogs can produce blood-tinged vomit or stools. Dogs can take several days to exhibit serious signs of illness. Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. But any chocolate, in large enough amounts, can kill a dog. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30-pound dog, and many dogs will happily consume more than this. The symptoms may not show up for several hours (and so might make you think all is well), with death following within twenty-four hours. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous. Apple seeds, cherry pits, peach pits, pear pips, plums pits, and apricot pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous. While a few apple seeds may not cause a problem, the effects can accumulate over time if they are given to dogs regularly. Dogs should not be allowed to chew on a peach pit, cherry pit, apricot pit, or plum pit. Chewing can allow ingestion of cyanide. Chewing could also result in the pit being swallowed, causing continuous exposure to cyanide, or could cause the dog to choke. Too much salt can cause kidney problems. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly. Too much fat or fried foods can cause pancreatitis. Ham and bacon contain too much fat and too much salt, and can cause pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat. This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist, causing death. Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia. Check the label of your canned dog food to be sure that it does not contain liver if you are giving your dog liver also. Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, or death. Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. The lack of it can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or skeleton deformity. Raw egg yolks contain enough biotin to prevent the deficiency, so this is not a problem with raw whole eggs. Raw egg yolks could contain salmonella, so you should get your eggs from a reliable source or cook the eggs. Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but rice is generally safe in small amounts. Cooked bones can splinter and tear a dog’s internal organs. Dogs can't digest most vegetables (carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes or yams) whole or in large pieces. Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous. Dairy products are high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. A small amount of non-fat, plain yogurt is usually safe. Pennies made from the 1980s to today contain zinc, which can cause kidney failure and damage to red blood cells. A dog that consumes even one penny can become quite sick, or even die, if the penny is not removed. Note: According to the ASPCA, "Some dogs can eat [avocadoes] without having any adverse reactions. .... The Guatemalan variety, a common one found in stores, appears to be the most problematic. Other strains of avocado can have different degrees of toxic potential." "My dog ate ______ lots of times and didn't die, so ______ don't kill dogs." That logic is no better than "My dog runs in the street all the time and has never been hit by a car, so dogs never get hit by cars." Anna, Buddha, Sasi, Ali, Chet, Nicky & Lokee Pekepals List Owner
From another rescuer: My friend's dog had to be euthanized over a porkchop bone. This applies to chicken bones, too! She writes: "He got in the trash can, lifted the lid and got a corn cob out, I got it from him and thought that was all that he had gotten, but the next morning he started throwing up, it was a piece of corn cob, so I thought he just had a upset stomach from that, but as the day went on he got sicker and sicker, I took him to Brook Run at 2:00 and they did a x-ray and found that he had ate a pork chop bone and it had ripped his intestine open and he was toxic and with his seizures, he would not make it though the surgery!! So, I had to but my baby to sleep!! I have been devastated!! He blames himself for putting the bones in the trash!"
Thank you for reading all this-- I want to do all I can to help keep your Pekes and other pets safe!!
Linda and the Pekes here
She is on one of the Kuranda dog beds in the kitchen, but wait, does she hear something???
She's looking at the gate to the dining room. (Sometimes, this is closed, and sometimes it's open. Now, isn't that one of my brighter statements-- I can hardly believe I have written that, let alone left it in the blog!)
So, Bella, and Ruby and Bernie are looking under the gate. There must be something happening over in the other room. 
Then, Ruby looks at that gate. That CLOSED gate. And she's thinking. "I can jump that gate! I can, I can........" Look at her intent look. She is gaining strength, and then.....
She jumps it! She's over the gate. "I can't believe I did that! Wow, that was easy! I'm so proud of myself. For a little 9 pound dog, I have mighty jumping ability!" Well, this little girl decided she wanted out and she got out! You Pekes never seem to amaze me!+++++++++++++++++++++++++
From a fellow rescuer: --We have found out about a deadly danger to our pets at the shelter, as well as your own pets. Like we didn't have enough to worry about. One of the dogs, Ellie, has had strange symptoms for about a month now. Not eating, and usually had a great appetite, would not play, would barely walk. Really just acted like she has been slowly dying. That is because she has been. Dr Higdon did blood work on her this week and her liver enzyme levels were, as he stated, through the roof. He said it was as if she had eaten something very toxic. The only time he had seen them this bad was a dog that had eaten a mushroom in his yard. Missy, the owner, realized she remembered Ellie grabbing a mushroom from her mom's yard about a month ago. That was it. Since then this has been slowly killing her liver. Luckily, if the liver is not already too far gone, it will repair itself. She is taking a strong antibiotic and trying all they can to get her to eat, anything at all. Dr Higdon said all the vets had gotten a bulletin about how bad the mushrooms would be this year due to all the rain. A picture is attached above to show you what these look like. I, however, would just get all mushrooms out of the yard. Check your yards, or the park or anywhere you may be taking your pets. Hate to scare folks, but, this is pretty important. (When I scoop the poop everyday, I scoop any mushrooms or other things also-- just to be safe!)++++++++++++
Bella and Ruby are lovely names and I just adore that photo of the peeking pekes under the door!
ReplyDeleteI did know about mushrooms - toadstools - they can do that to you and your children too!
I did not know about avacadoes!
Ruby is quite talented, isn't she? Bella has the sweetest face. You can blame the gate comment on the heat, Linda. It's hot and sticky here too.
ReplyDeleteThat's great information about all the things that can be toxic, especially to the smaller breeds. I better start scooping the mushrooms too! That recall list is quite extensive.