Toggle High Contrast Toggle Font size Get One, Give One Offer* Find a Location Near You View All Pet Articles Danger Ahead! Avoid These Toxic Foods for Pets Get our checklist of dangerous foods plus what symptoms they can cause in your dog or cat. by PetIQ Veterinary Council Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes IMPORTANT PET PARENT TIP: If you think your pet has eaten something potentially poisonous, whether it’s a plant or food, call your veterinarian or ASPCA pet poison control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. Moldy Food Moldy foods may contain tremorgenic mycotoxins (toxic fungus), which can cause a severe reaction in your pet. Throw away moldy foods as quickly as possible and keep pets from getting inside refrigerators and cabinets. What to Look For: Muscle tremors, ataxia (impaired balance or coordination due to brain, nerves, or muscle damage), and convulsions lasting for days. Chocolate You may already know this, but it is an important one. All chocolate contains a compound called theobromine, and dark chocolate has the most. What to Look For: Vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, hyperactivity, and seizures. In large amounts, it can potentially cause the death of your pet. Xylitol (Sugar-free Foods) This sugar substitute is used in candy, breath mints, toothpaste, and desserts. It’s highly toxic to dogs, and symptoms can start in as little as 20 minutes. What to Look For: Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy/weakness/ your pet collapses, and ataxia. If untreated, it can cause your pet to go into a coma, have potential liver failure or death. Rising Bread Dough Yeast and sugars in raw bread dough that causes the bread to rise to give off ethanol as a by-product causing the dough to swell in your pet’s stomach. What to Look For: Abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting from the physical dough, impaired coordination, or depression from the ethanol. Grapes/Raisins Never feed your dog or cat these fruits; they can cause irreversible kidney failure. What to Look For: Vomiting, lethargy, not eating (anorexia), diarrhea, drinking more water, increased urination or decrease in drinking water and urination. Peaches, Plums & Persimmons Peach and plum pits have cyanide, which is highly poisonous to both animals and humans. The seeds from persimmons can cause gastrointestinal (GI) problems in dogs. What to Look For: Salivation, rapid breathing to difficulty breathing, muscle tremors, increased heart rate, convulsions, or respiratory paralysis. Onions, Garlic, Chives, Leeks & Shallots No matter how you slice it, plants in the Alliaceae family are toxic, even in powder or cooked form. What to Look For: Weakness and lethargy due to anemia from red blood cell damage. Macadamia Nuts If your pet is sensitive to nuts, you will start to see signs within 12 hours of eating a Macadamia nut. What to Look For: Possible weakness, depression, vomiting, ataxia, tremors, and hyperthermia. Milk, Ice Cream, Cheese and Other Dairy Products The myth is that cats love dairy. It’s true; however, their stomachs don’t agree. Most cats are lactose-intolerant, which means they can’t process dairy. Dogs can also develop an allergy to milk-based products. What to Look For: Diarrhea and vomiting. Raw Meat and Eggs Raw eggs and meat run the risk of salmonella and E. coli exposure in them and us. What to Look For: Digestive upset. Certain household plants can also be hazardous to our pets. Check out our list of poisonous plants here. Share this Article: All Article Categories: Minor Medical Care New Pet Parents Pet Safety Prevention Wellness Articles You May Also Like Don’t Let These Dangerous Plants Ruin Your Holiday These dangerous holiday plants are not ho-ho-ho. They are a no-go. Get the list, plus find out what happens if your pet eats one. Read more Keep Your Pet’s Ears Clean and Healthy Ear disease in dogs and cats can develop for a variety of reasons including ear mites, ear infections (bacterial or yeast), and allergies. Read more Your Pet’s Skin, Coat, and Paws Need Care Your pet’s skin, coat, and nails are essential to their overall health. Know what signs to look for and when to contact a veterinarian. Read more View All Pet Articles Join Our Community Sign up for Promotions, Updates, Advice from our Veterinarians and more. REQUEST PET RECORDS FAQs HELP CENTER SERVICES & PRICING Veterinary Helpline Individual Services Service Packages Pet Wellness Plans ABOUT US Overview Our Standards of Care Careers PET ARTICLES Featured Articles All Articles PHARMACY Fill a Prescription Shop Products Find a Location Copyright ©2020-2021 PetIQ, LLC. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service To analyze the use, improve our websites, and inform you about our company on other websites, we would like to use cookies. If you agree, please click, "I consent to cookies". If you would like to select the cookies we can use, receive more detailed information, or make any changes to your preferences go to "Cookie Preferences". I consent to cookies Essential Cookies Only Cookie Preferences Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences Learn About Our Check-in Process