July 15th, 2010
Summer is here and that means lots of picnics, barbecues and other food-related gatherings. I love the impromtu-ness of summer!
We have pets. So do our friends. This means that picnic parties often involve our pets. And, even though my friends know me and “the rules,” sometimes part of a potato chip is sneaked in answer to the woeful eyes of Sophie or Argos.
One little potato chip isn’t going to hurt them, but there are plenty of other human foods that can. With the help of Ahna Brutlag DVM and Justine A. Lee DVM DACVEC, veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline, here are some treats to avoid, all year round.
8 foods that must be kept away from pets
1) Grapes, Raisins and Currants
These fruits are delicious, and many pets like them. They are also found in many baked goods, such as breads, rolls and cookies – and pets usually love those kinds of foods.
- These fruits cause acute kidney failure in dogs and may cause kidney failure in
cats and ferrets as well. - While not all dogs or cats will develop kidney failure after eating grapes
or raisins, it’s impossible to know which pets will be sensitive to this fruit. - Therefore, all pets (especially dogs) that ingest grapes, raisins or currants should
be monitored closely and treated appropriately. - If a small dog eats just a small number of grapes or raisins, this is considered an emergency.
More about: Grape and Raisin Toxicity | Case report of a raisin toxicity in a dog
2) Caffeine – coffee, tea and sodas
- Caffeine is most commonly found in coffee, coffee grounds, tea, used tea bags, soda, energy drinks and diet pills. Theobromine, a cousin chemical to caffeine, is also found chocolate (see chocolate toxicity).
- Threat to pets: Pets are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people are.
- While 1-2 laps of coffee, tea or soda will not contain enough caffeine to cause poisoning in most pets, the ingestion of moderate amounts of coffee grounds, tea bags or 1-2 diet pills can easily cause death in small dogs or cats.
3) Chocolate and Cocoa
When it comes to chocolate, it’s imperative to remember this fact: Dark = dangerous! The darker the chocolate, the larger the amount of theobromine, a cousin chemical to caffeine, that it contains. Thus, baker’s chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder and gourmet dark chocolates are more dangerous than milk chocolate.
- White chocolate has very little theobromine and will not cause chocolate poisoning in pets.
- It’s the dose that makes the poison! Pets that ingest a few M&Ms or 1-2 bites of a chocolate chip cookie are unlikely to develop chocolate poisoning.
- Due to the large amount of fat in chocolate, some pets may develop pancreatitis after eating chocolate or baked goods containing chocolate (see pancreatitis).
How much is too much? Chocolate toxicity calculator
4) Xylitol
Xylitol is a common sugar-substitute used in sugar-free chewing gum, breath mints, candies, and baked goods. It is also found in some smoking-cessation products like nicotine gum. It has dental plaque fighting properties and also found (in non-toxic amounts) in pet mouth wash and oral rinse.
- Xylitol may cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar as well as causing liver damage to dogs. Cats and people do not experience this problem.
- Chewing gums and breath mints typically contain 0.22-1.0 gram of xylitol per piece of gum or per mint. Thus, to achieve a potentially toxic dose, a 10 pound dog would only have to eat one piece of gum!
More about: Xylitol Toxicity
5) Onions, garlic, chives and leeks (Allium. species)
The small amount of garlic sometimes found in dog treats is unlikely to be harmful to dogs. However, if cats or dogs ingest a tasty pan of sautéed onions, garlic, or leeks, poisoning may result. The ingestion of large numbers of garlic pills or powder may also cause poising. Garlic was once thought of as a “home remedy” for flea infestations; however, it has been shown to be ineffective and is not recommended by Pet Poison Helpline.
- These vegetables can cause red blood cell destruction (specifically, Heinz body formation) and result in anemia.
- Ingestions of onions or garlic of > 0.5% of dog’s body weight are potentially toxic. For example, this would equate to a 30 lb dog ingesting about 2.5 ounces of onion or garlic.
- Cats and Japanese breeds of dogs (Akita, Shiba Inu, etc) are even more sensitive.
6) Yeast-bread dough
Homemade and store bought unbaked dough that contains yeast (used for bread, dinner rolls, etc). Unbaked yeast containing dough can result in multiple problems if a pet ingests it.
More about: yeast dough toxicity.
7) Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks aside, alcohol can be found in some surprising places. Rum-soaked cakes or other unbaked deserts containing alcohol may contain alcohol to cause poisoning in pets. Alcohol is also a major byproduct of ingested yeast dough (see yeast-bread dough).
Even small amounts of alcohol, especially in small dogs and cats, can cause life-threatening toxicity.
8 ) Fatty foods and meat scraps
Fatty foods such as butter, oils, meat drippings/grease, chocolate and meat scraps may cause pancreatitis when ingested, especially by dogs. Certain breeds, miniature Schnauzers in particular, are more likely to develop pancreatitis than other breeds.
And… one more food hazard to add: corn cobs
While not toxic, they are tempting and tasty to pets. Corn cobs are dangerous though, as they may not make it all they way through the intestinal tract, causing a potentially life-threatening obstruction.
Pet-safe people food
It’s not all gloom and doom for the pets who picnic with us, here are some healthy human food treat ideas from Pet Poison Helpline.
- Apples
- Peas
- Green beans
- Popcorn (Hold the butter and salt!)
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini and summer squash
- Winter squash
- Ice chips (Freeze cubes of diluted beef or chicken broth for a real frozen treat!)
- Lettuces
- Blueberries
Thank you Pet Poison Helpline, for your assistance with this article.
Photo: School Picnic Lunch by Edenpictures on Flickr.
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Posted in K9 Care, K9 Health, K9 Nutrition | 3 Comments »
3 Responses to “Top 8 Pet Picnic Poisons”
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Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM never planned to be a writer. She wanted to be a veterinarian from the moment she learned such a job existed - sometime during the first grade, when she accompanied her mom to the vet with a sick cat. Janet "adopted" all the neighborhood cats, and at age 11 she started training her first dog, a newly adopted rescue Collie. At age 12, she joined a dog obedience 4-H club and was active through high school as a member and as a junior leader.
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Wow – very helpful post. I like that you added a list of “people foods” they can eat at the end. Thank you!
Thanks for this great information! I have found that most people are unaware of the dangers of xylitol poisoning (the sweetener in some gums.) This can be very serious!
Thanks for including the link to my chocolate toxicity calculator as well.
Dr. Marie
very helpfull thanks for sharing .now I know even onion, xylitol,caffeine and even raisin can be dangerous to them!!!