Those big brown eyes look up at you longingly, silently pleading for you to break off a piece of your sandwich to share. No matter how hard you try to ignore that yearning gaze, it’s impossible. Against your better judgment, you tear off a piece and give it to your beloved pet. You always share your food with your canine companion, and he knows exactly how to get you to give in! It can’t hurt him, can it?
Although the physiology of humans and dogs share many similarities, the sometimes subtle differences are significant enough that many of the foods we enjoy and that are beneficial to us can be lethal to our four-legged companions! Often, food that is toxic to dogs includes items we enjoy, consider treats, and tolerate easily—such as chocolate, coffee, garlic, and raisins—yet they can cause nothing but grief for your dog.
Foods that Are Toxic to Dogs
- Alcoholic beverages: Causes intoxication, leading to coma and even death.
- Baby food and prepackaged food: May contain garlic or onion powder (see below). Always read the ingredients before serving.
- Chocolate: Contains theobromine, a chemical that adversely affects the kidneys, heart, and lungs, and attacks the central nervous system. The toxic dose depends on the purity of the chocolate, with semi-sweet dark chocolate being far more toxic than milk chocolate. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity include excitement or hyperactivity, muscle tremors, seizures, vomiting, abnormal heart rate/rhythm, diarrhea, wobbly gait, hyperthermia, coma, and death.
- Caffeine: Similar to theobromine in chocolate, caffeine attacks the kidneys, heart, liver, and lungs when ingested by a dog, adversely affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning in dogs include restlessness, hyperactivity, vomiting, panting, weakness, wobbly gait, muscle tremors, and convulsions, which can lead to death.
- Onions and garlic: This includes all members of the Allium family, though yellow, white, and red onions are the most toxic to dogs. Onions have a cumulative effect, so while a small amount now and then may not hurt your dog, the same small amount every day is just as lethal as a large amount given all at once. Onions cause a type of hemolytic anemia called Heinz body anemia, which leads to the destruction of red blood cells and subsequent kidney damage. Symptoms mimic other types of anemia and include pale gums, rapid heart rate, lethargy, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody urine.
- Grapes and raisins: Grape toxicity in dogs is a relatively recent discovery and not fully understood. It causes irreversible damage to the kidneys, with death being a possibility. For a 20-pound dog, 4 to 5 grapes is considered a toxic level, although the exact dose is not known. Symptoms of grape toxicity include inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased urine production leading to complete lack of urine production, weakness, and wobbly gait. Symptoms can develop within 24 hours or as quickly as a few hours, depending on the dog.
- Macadamia nuts: While not lethal, macadamia nuts cause significant discomfort and severe illness, making them worth mentioning. The actual toxin responsible for their toxicity in dogs is unknown, but a small handful can cause vomiting, weakness, depression, wobbly gait, joint/muscle pain, and joint swelling. Symptoms usually begin within six to twenty-four hours, and the dog should be close to recovery within a day or two.
- Xylitol: This sugar-free sweetener is a prime example of how human and canine physiology differ. In dogs, as little as two pieces of sugar-free gum containing xylitol can cause the pancreas to secrete insulin, lowering blood sugar levels, while a package can lead to liver damage. Symptoms develop within 30 to 60 minutes and include weakness, wobbly gait, collapse, and seizures.
- Yeast dough: Dogs love warm, raw dough, but the uncooked yeast produces ethanol, which has toxic effects. Symptoms include lethargy, depression, weakness, wobbly gait, and hypothermia. Ethanol is absorbed quickly, so immediate medical treatment is necessary.
Other foods toxic to dogs include fruit pits, moldy or rotten food, high-fat foods, cooked or splintered bones, tomatoes, unripe potatoes, mushrooms, avocado, dairy products, and nutmeg.
What to Do When Your Dog Eats Something Toxic
Treatment for animal poisonings depends on the toxin involved, and it is essential to get your dog to the veterinarian as quickly as possible. If you know what your pet ingested, bring what’s left of the item, its packaging, and any other relevant materials to help your vet. If you’re unsure of what your dog ate, clearly explain where your dog has been over the last 24 hours so your vet can make a hypothesis based on the dog’s movements. For example, if your dog was hanging out in the garage while you worked on your car, it might have ingested coolant.
Never treat your dog yourself unless you absolutely cannot reach a veterinarian within a few hours, but always call for instructions.
Remember, dogs are generally much smaller than humans, so what might seem like a small bite to you could be a significant amount for your pet. Keep track of what your dog eats, and always supervise them when off-lead.
