Most people these days have a pretty good idea as to which foods are healthy and which foods aren’t. But do these same ideas apply to our pets?
You may be surprised to hear that several foods universally known to be healthy for people are actually very harmful to cats and dogs.
So, let’s begin. Below is our list of the top 6 most lethal foods for pets, in no particular order.
1. Grapes and raisins
First up are grapes. Believe it or not, this seemingly harmless little fruit can result in severe kidney damage if ingested by our pets. Thankfully, most cats aren’t big on grapes. But eating a single grape can sometimes be enough to cause life-threatening kidney failure in a small dog.
And let’s not forget about raisins, which are essentially just dried up grapes. They can have all the same harmful effects on your pet’s kidneys, too.
2. Chocolate
Many of us consider chocolate to be a guilty pleasure, and a lot of our pets have a hard time resisting this tasty treat, too. However, beware– chocolate can lead to serious health issues if ingested by your cat or dog.
Chocolate contains substances that can cause hyperactivity, restlessness and agitation in cats and dogs. If enough is ingested, your pet may even begin having seizures. Chocolate also has the potential to send your pet’s heart into overdrive, resulting in sudden heart failure.
While all chocolate is dangerous, the darker varieties tend to be most harmful. Baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder are known to be the most concentrated forms of chocolate, and therefore the most lethal.
3. Onions and garlic
Onions and garlic belong to the same family of plant and are staple ingredients in delicious dishes from all over the world. However, they are unfortunately highly toxic to our pets if ingested.
In large amounts, onions and garlic have the ability to cause hemolytic anemia, or destruction of your pet’s red blood cells. This can be extremely life threatening.
Be sure not to give your pet any leftovers containing onions or garlic, and secure all trash bins well, as the aroma from food prepared with these two toxic ingredients can and will attract your pets!
4. Chewing gum
While technically not a food, chewing gum has been included in this list because it’s definitely one you should be aware about.
Chewing gum comes in a variety of flavors, and is meant to taste good. Because of this, your pets may naturally find gum attractive. However, chewing gum can be highly toxic to dogs and cats if it contains a substance called xylitol, a common sugar-free sweetener.
Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in your pet’s blood sugar, resulting in seizures or even death. This toxin can cause liver damage, too.
Make sure to keep chewing gum away from your pets and don’t forget to watch them closely while out on walks!
5. Rich, Fatty and Oily Foods
Pizza, fried chicken and onion rings! Say it ain’t so.
While foods like these may really stimulate your taste buds, they too can lead to very serious problems if ingested by your dog or cat. This is because eating rich, fatty or oily foods, especially in large amounts, has the ability to lead to a debilitating condition called pancreatitis.
The pancreas is an organ responsible for producing enzymes necessary to digest food. In response to greasy foods, the pancreas is sent into overdrive. This results in severe inflammation of the pancreas, or pancreatitis.
Common signs of pancreatitis include vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Pets often refuse to eat and exhibit pain in the abdomen. Sadly, pancreatitis often requires pets to be hospitalized and can even be life threatening.
6. Bones
Many people don’t think twice about giving their dog the leftover bone from their pork chops, ribs or steak. Unfortunately, bones can lead to some very serious problems in our pets and can even be lethal.
Firstly, bones can splinter when chewed on. If swallowed, the sharp fragments of bone can then cause serious damage to your pet’s stomach and intestinal tract. At the very least, this can cause your pet some serious pain, but it can even be life-threatening if a piece of bone punctures through the gut. Yikes.
Chunks of bone can also become stuck as they try to move through your pet’s gastrointestinal system. If this happens, your pet will feel very sick and will likely then require emergency surgery to save.
Finally, biting down on a bone can severely damage or even fracture your pet’s teeth. This is incredibly painful and can also result in an infection of the mouth. Your pet will suffer until the problem is discovered (if it is discovered at all), at which point a tooth extraction will likely be necessary.
Clearly, bones are a very dangerous thing to offer your pet and should be avoided at all costs.
As you can see, many seemingly harmless foods we eat can pose serious risks to our dogs and cats.
From chocolate to chewing gum, you now know the top 6 lethal foods for pets, and why they can be so dangerous.
