Which household foods can you not feed to your pets?

Are you worried about what your pet can and cannot eat? Fear not, for here is a list of common household food you should avoid feeding to your pet, so as to keep them safe and healthy!

Though our pets can eat a few morsels of our human food in moderation, there are some snacks that are highly poisonous for our furry pals and must be kept far away from their curious paws! Here’s a list of common household food and drinks that you should keep far away from your pet’s hungry jaws:

Alcohol

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Food and drinks that contain alcohol will cause vomiting, diarrhea, coordination problems, and breathing difficulties in your pet. In worst case scenarios, consuming alcohol might even lead to coma and death, so be sure to keep this away from your fur friends.

Avocados

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Avocados contain persin, a toxin that can be deadly to your pets if consumed in high amounts, leading to vomiting or diarrhea. Persin can also be found on an avocado’s plant, seed, and bark, so be careful if you live near avocado plants! Pets may also choke on the avocado pit, so it’s best to not feed it to your fluffy pal at all.

Chocolate

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This infamous snack is well-known to be poisonous to dogs, but it’s also rather toxic to cats. This is because all types of chocolate contain theobromine, which cats and dogs cannot metabolise, hence leading to vomiting and diarrhea, or in some cases, even seizures and death. Definitely not a treat you should be giving to your beloved pet!

Coffee/Caffeine

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Caffeine is toxic for your pets, so drinking coffee or tea is definitely a no-go for them! Though 1-2 laps of a drink might not be life-threatening, ingesting a good amount of caffeine will cause serious health issues for your pet, and they should visit a vet immediately if they accidentally consume it.

Grapes/Raisins

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Though they’re harmless fruits and snacks for us humans, they are incredibly poisonous to your pets. They can cause kidney failure and result in constant vomiting, so be sure to keep these little treats far out of reach from your curious pet’s sights!

Macadamia nuts

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Macadamia nuts are also pretty toxic snacks for your pets to ingest, and can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors and hypothermia. These symptoms may appear within 12 hours of eating the nuts, and can last for 24 to 48 hours. If you see these symptoms in your pet, it’s best to take them to a vet as soon as possible.

Milk and dairy products

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Pets usually don’t have lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk, thus drinking milk or eating dairy products will cause them diarrhea and other digestive problems. As such, it’s best to not leave any dairy products out for your pet to eat, lest they get themselves sick!

Onions and Garlic

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These vegetables, whether raw or cooked, can cause gastrointestinal irritation, and might lead to damage in your pets’ red blood cells, causing anemia. Some symptoms include weakness, vomiting, and breathing problems, so keep an eye out for your pets.

Salt/Salty food

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Consuming too much salt might lead to excessive dehydration and urination in your pet, or even sodium ion poisoning in some cases. Symptoms of an overconsumption of salt includes vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, high body temperatures, seizures, and even death.

Xylitol (Artificial sweetener)

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You won’t find xylitol lying about your kitchen. Instead, they’re a common ingredient found in many treats such as gum, candy, and baked goods. Be sure to check if whatever you’re feeding your pet doesn’t contain xylitol, as it can cause liver failure and lead to vomiting, lethargy, and coordination problems.

Yeast dough

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When baking at home, you’ll also have to be wary of letting your pets ingest any raw yeast dough. If eaten, the dough can rise within your pet’s stomach, causing pain as it makes the stomach bloat and accumulates air in their digestive system. The yeast may also produce a type of alcohol, ethanol, in the stomach, leading to potential alcohol poisoning.

Though all these symptoms and illnesses are scary, they won’t be a problem for your beloved fur friend as long as you keep this list of food out of their reach! Some of these might be tasty meals and snacks for us humans, but keep in mind that our diet won’t always match up with our pet’s, and be sure to always check with your vet before changing up their diet!