Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Avocado
- Chocolate (all forms)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Fatty foods
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions, onion powder
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic
- Products sweetened with xylitol
Warm Weather Hazards
- Animal Toxins- Toads, Insects, Spiders, Snakes and Scorpions
- Blue-green algae in ponds
- Citronells candles
- Cocoa Mulch
- Compost Piles Fertilizers
- Flea Products
- Outdoor Plants and Plant Bulbs
- Swimming Pool Treatment Supplies
- Fly Baits containing Methomyl
- Slug and Snail baits containing Metaldehyde
Medication
Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:
- Pain Killers
- Cold Medicines
- Anti-Cancer drugs
- Antidepressants
- Vitamins
- Diet Pills
Cold Weather Hazards
- Anti-Freeze
- Liquid Potpourri
- Ice Melting Products
- Rat and Mouse Bait
Common Household Hazards
- Fabric Softener sheets
- Mothballs
- Post-1982 Pennies (due to high concentration of Zinc)
Holiday Hazards
- Christmas Tree Water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach)
- Electrical Cords
- Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction)
- Batteries
- Glass ornaments
Non-Toxic Substances
The following substances are considered to be non-toxic, although they may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some animals:
- Water-based Paints
- Toilet Bowl Water
- Silica Gel
- Poinsettia Plants
- Cat Litter
- Glue Traps
- Glow Jewelry
Written by: Laurinda Morris, DVM, Danville Veterinary Clinic, Danville, Ohio