28 Items Poisonous to Pets In Your House
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We’ve all been there, cleaning up around the house and next thing you know your dog is into something they shouldn’t be. Below are common items around your house that can be poisonous to your pet.
- Chocolate – Chocolate can caue seziures, comas and even death. The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is and the more dangerous it becomes. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30 lb dog.
- Coffee Grounds/Caffeine – Caffeine contains a substance called methylxanthines that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panding, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity and death.
- Batteries – Just as with humans, batteries can be toxic if eaten. To dogs, they look like rocks or other plaything they might carry around.
- Yard Bug Killer – Diggin around in the garage is a common thing arouns our house. Make sure all bug killers are up on high ground. Find organic/chemical free ways to rid your yard of fleas and other pests.
- Grapes/Raisins – Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. As small as a single serving of raisins can kill them.
- Alcohol – Dog’s bodies are not made to break down alcohol like a human’s body.
- Laundry Detergents – No, it will not make your dog fluffy like the teddy bear on the front. This can irritate your dog’s stomach and esophafus.
- Antifreeze – I don’t know what has taken them so long but they are finally starting to put an ingredient to make it taste bad. Currently though, antifreeze is sweet to dogs and cats so keep it away.
- Fertilizers – Just as with yard bug killers, this can contain items that are poisonous to pets. Keep out of the way on high ground and your dogs away from it when you put it out in the yard.
- Kerosene & Citronella – Everyone loves a tiki tourch on the deck or back yard during the summer but remember that what makes them light up can also hurt.
- Prescriptions – For you or your dog. When you are cleaning out the cabinets, make sure you don’t leave them lieing around on the ground in open trash.
- Nonprescription Medications – The same with your prescriptions, just because it’s over the counter doesn’t mean that they are good in large quantities or at all for your pet.
- Wiper Fluid – When cleaning up the car and getting it ready for summer, don’t leave this around either as it can contain methanol or ethylene glycol.
- Lilies – Who knew that such a pretty flower could cause kidney failure in cats and heart rhythm problems in both dogs and cats?
- Mothballs – OK this one seems to only happen at grandma’s house now. But when putting those winter sweaters away, keep these out of site also.
- Bread Dough/Raw Yeast – When ingested, the unbaked bread dough expands and can cause bloat. It can also cause alcohol poisoning and gas.
- Xylitol – Diet food with Xylitol can cause an increase in insulin secretion and sudden drip in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures.
- Onions – They destroy a dog’s red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness and breathing difficulty.
- Garlic – Large amounts can cause the same issues as onions.
- Rhubarb – Rhubarb contains a substance called oxalate in the leaves and can cause severe problems like kidney failure, tremors and salivation.
- Avocados and Pitted Fruits (ie Peache, Pears, etc…) – The pits are toxic to dogs. They can cause difficulty breathing, fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen, heart or pancreatitis.
- Macadamia Nuts – Can cause weakness, muscle and nervous-system issues and paralysis.
- Walnuts – Especially English Walnuts, can cause gastric intestinal upset and can cause obstruction in your dog’s body.
- Nuts – While most nuts are not poisonous to dogs, they can cause a very upset stomach as their bodies can not easily digest them.
- Tomatoes -Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhuthmias in dogs. The actual tomato plants are the worst thing to eat, but the tomatoes are also unsafe.
- Nutmeg – Known to cause tremors and seizures.
- Milk – Pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase to break down milk. Milk and other dairy based products can cause diarrhea and other digestive problems.
- Mouse/Rat poisons – These contain a number of different ingredients that are not only poisonous to mice, but other animals too.
Some signs to show if your pet was poisoned
- Pale gums
- Weak or fast pulse
- Rapid breathing
- Increased or decreased body temp
- Difficulty standing
- Paralysis
- Loss of conscieousness
- Seizures
- Bleeding
Keep your pets safe and call the emergency vet if needed. For more information on poisons and your pet, visit the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center.