10 Household Items That Are Poisonous to Pets

By: Faith P.

10 household items that are poisonous to pets: Many things are perfectly safe for humans but affect your four-legged friend and make them sick. Some are well known while others are not. Here is a list of 10 things to avoid letting your pet eat.

1. Avocados

Avocados are toxic to almost all animals, including your pets. Humans are a rare exception. It contains persin, which is a fatty acid that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other nasty symptoms when eaten by animals. If your pet eats a large number of avocados, it could cause them to die within twelve hours.

2. Chocolate

Chocolate a tasty temptation that can be deadly. If your pet has eaten chocolate, it can result in significant illness. Chocolate is toxic to pets because it contains a chemical called theobromine. Theobromine is the primary toxin in chocolate and is very similar to caffeine. Your pets often cannot metabolize theobromine, as well as people can. The difficulty in metabolizing this chemical makes them more sensitive to it.

3. Grapes and Raisins

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in your pet. Currently, we don’t know why these fruits are toxic. Some suspect that a mycotoxin -a poisonous substance produced by a fungus or mould- may be what is causing this. Others believe a salicylate – a drug similar to aspirin- may be naturally found in grapes, resulting in decreased blood flow to the kidneys. Raisins could be more dangerous because they are often more concentrated than grapes meaning it would take fewer raisins to do damage.

4. Garlic

Garlic is classified as a species of the Allium family. Like other Allium family members, garlic contains compounds called disulphides and thiosulphates, which can be toxic to pets. Ingesting garlic causes hemolytic anemia, Heinz body anemia, and methemoglobinemia, which damage red blood cells. These illnesses mean the red blood cells circulating through your pet’s body become very fragile and burst.

5. Onions

Onions, like garlic, are in the Allium family. Being in the Allium family means it also contains disulphides and thiosulphates. The ingestion of onions will cause similar effects to your pet when compared with garlic. The best idea for your pet is to steer clear of both and any other foods from the Allium family.

6. Tulips

Tulips are toxic to pets, along with other members of the Liliaceae family. The most poisonous part of a tulip is the bulbs compared to the leaf or flower due to the higher concentration of the chemical compounds, and when ingested in large amounts, it can result in severe symptoms. Severe tulip poisoning is usually seen when pets dig up freshly planted bulbs or access a bag of them. When tulips are chewed or eaten, they can irritate the tissue in the mouth and esophagus. 

7. Hibiscuses

In most cases, hibiscus is non-toxic for pets. Still, the Rose of Sharon -a type of hibiscus- can be harmful. If a dog eats a large amount of this hibiscus’ flower, it can cause nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. No one knows why some types of hibiscus are toxic while others remain non-toxic to dogs. For cats, however, both the flower and stems of this hibiscus are poisonous to them.

8. Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are among the top human foods to avoid giving your dog. Once a dog ingests macadamia nuts, it can cause vomiting, ataxia, weakness, hyperthermia, and depression. Veterinarians and researchers don’t know what causes this particular food to be toxic to dogs; it’s perfectly safe for humans and has not been seen to affect cats. So far, dogs are the only species that have had severe symptoms due to macadamia nuts. We do know is that even a tiny amount of the nuts can cause severe symptoms.

9. Caffeine

Caffeine is found in many household items such as coffee and can also be found in chocolate and is part of the reason why you shouldn’t give chocolate to your pets. Your pets’ metabolism will likely not metabolize the caffeine properly, which once again makes them more sensitive to its effects.

10. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a very common houseplant and is often used to relieve skin abrasions and cuts on people. When ingested, the chemical compounds in aloe are metabolized by bacteria in the intestines forming compounds that increase the production of mucus and water in the colon. These increases can result in vomiting and diarrhea in your pets. Other symptoms you can see in your pet from aloe poisoning include depression, anorexia, urine colour changes, and tremors.

Conclusion

Keep in mind more things are dangerous for your pet to ingest. Please do your research before giving any human foods to your pet or making a homemade treat for them; it may save you a trip to the vet.

 

Links:

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/potentially-dangerous-items-your-pet 

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/chocolate-poisoning-in-dogs#:~:text=While%20rarely%20fatal%2C%20chocolate%20ingestion,is%20very%20similar%20to%20caffeine.&text=Dogs%20cannot%20metabolize%20theobromine%20and%20caffeine%20as%20well%20as%20people%20can