Human foods that are dangerous for dogs and cats
Most of what is in your kitchen does no harm to a dog or cat in small amounts. A short list can, and a few things on it are dangerous even in small amounts. Here is that list, where each one tends to hide, and what to do if your pet eats something on it.
This is a guide, not a diagnosis. If your pet has eaten something below, call your vet now rather than waiting to see whether symptoms appear.
The foods to keep out of reach
- Chocolate. It contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs and cats clear far more slowly than we do. The darker the chocolate, the more it contains: cocoa powder and baking chocolate are the most dangerous, then dark chocolate, then milk chocolate. Signs include vomiting, restlessness, a racing heart and tremors.
- Xylitol. A sweetener in sugar-free gum and mints, some peanut butters, sugar-free baked goods and some toothpastes. It is sometimes listed as birch sugar. In dogs it causes a sudden drop in blood sugar within an hour or so, and larger amounts can damage the liver. Check the label of any peanut butter you use for treats.
- Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas. They can cause kidney failure in dogs. Some dogs eat a handful with no harm, while others are poisoned by a few, and there is no known safe amount. Treat any amount as an emergency.
- Onions, garlic, leeks and chives. Raw, cooked or powdered, they damage red blood cells. Cats are more sensitive than dogs. Signs can take several days to show, so a pet that seems fine the next morning still needs a call to the vet.
- Macadamia nuts. In dogs they cause weakness in the back legs, wobbling, vomiting and a raised temperature, usually within 12 hours. Most dogs recover with care, but they still need a vet.
- Alcohol, and raw bread dough. Dough that contains yeast keeps rising in a warm stomach and produces alcohol as it does.
- Caffeine. Coffee grounds, tea bags, energy drinks and caffeine tablets all count.
- Cooked bones. They splinter, and the pieces can break teeth or block or tear the gut. Corn cobs cause blockages in dogs too.
- Fatty scraps. Meat trimmings, skin and dripping can bring on pancreatitis in dogs, a painful inflammation that often needs a stay at the vet.
For cats in particular
- Lilies. True lilies and daylilies cause kidney failure in cats. Every part of the plant is toxic, including the pollen and the water in the vase. A cat that brushes past the flowers and licks the pollen off their fur can be poisoned. If you have a cat, keep lilies out of the house altogether.
- Milk. Not poisonous, but most adult cats cannot digest lactose well, and a saucer of milk often ends in an upset stomach. Water is all a cat needs to drink.
Human medicines
Painkillers are among the most common poisonings in pets, usually from a tablet dropped on the floor or a packet left on a bedside table.
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is highly toxic to cats. A single tablet can be enough to kill one.
- Ibuprofen and naproxen cause stomach ulcers and kidney damage in both dogs and cats.
Never give your pet a medicine meant for people unless your vet has told you to. Vets have pain relief made for dogs and cats.
Where these hide
- Sugar-free anything, from gum in a handbag to sugar-free cake
- Trail mix and fruit loaves, which can hold raisins, macadamias and chocolate at once
- Gravy, stock cubes, ready meals and some baby foods, which often contain onion or garlic powder
- The kitchen bin, with its bones, corn cobs and fatty scraps
- Gifts and holidays: chocolate boxes under the tree, Easter eggs, a bouquet with lilies in it
What to do if your pet eats something
- Take it away, and keep the packet. Note what they ate, roughly how much, and when.
- Call your vet straight away, even if your pet seems fine. Many poisons take hours to show, and treatment works best early. Out of hours, call your nearest emergency vet.
- Do not make them sick unless a vet tells you to. Salt water is itself dangerous, and some things do more harm on the way back up.
- If they tell you to come in, go, and take the packet with you. It tells the vet exactly what they are treating.
Treats from the kitchen that are fine
A few things from your kitchen make good treats in small amounts: plain cooked chicken or fish with no skin, bones or seasoning; carrot; cucumber; blueberries; apple without the core or seeds; plain cooked rice. Cats need meat, so a little plain cooked chicken or fish suits them best. Keep treats of any kind to a small part of what your pet eats in a day, about a tenth is the usual guide, so their main food still does its job.