What is poisonous to my dog?

No one can resist the pretty brown eyes and adorable doggie wink. Can a little treat from your table or having a small portion of human food seriously harm your dog?  Probably yes, it depends on what ingredients are present in that human food. If the food has sweetener xylitol, it can lead to serious illness in your dog. The truth is that there are many human food items your dog can never eat. And this is not all about weight. Some foods are extremely poisonous for dogs and you might be shocked by knowing these popular foods.

Human food

Pets have different metabolic reactions than humans. Certain foods and drinks that are perfectly healthy for humans can be poisonous and sometimes even deadly for dogs.

Chocolate and Caffeine

Chocolate is not dangerous for humans, but chocolate products have methylxanthines that if consumed in small quantities by dogs can lead to vomiting and even cause death if swallowed in larger quantities. Dark chocolate contains more toxic compounds than white chocolate.  The death rate caused by chocolate depends on the chocolate kind and the dog’s size. Even less than one ounce of baking chocolate can be deadly for smaller dogs, whereas a larger dog can survive four to eight ounces.

Caffeine is present in tea and coffee that is a stimulant. Dogs are more susceptible to caffeine effects than humans. A small amount of tea or coffee will not do any harm to your dog, but it can be dangerous if he swallows a bunch of coffee beans or tea bags. Symptoms of caffeine intoxication and treatment are the same as the toxicity of chocolate.

Alcohol

For dogs, alcohol is much more harmful than for humans. Only small amounts of alcoholic drinks and food products can cause serious issues in dogs like:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Reduced coordination
• Tremors
• Coma
• Depression
• Changes in blood
• Trouble in breathing
• Even death in some cases.

So, try to keep alcohol far beyond the range of your dog.

Avocados

Most people think that avocados are safe, but they contain a compound called persin that can cause diarrhea and vomiting while acting like a dog poison.

Medicines

Medicines that are helpful for humans, might have the opposite reaction on dogs. And to do massive harm, it does not need a large dose. Human medications even in smaller quantity ae very dangerous for dogs.

Measures to prevent your dog from getting poisoned

• Never leave your dog unattended for more than a couple of hours. Always hire a good pet sitter to take care of your dog when you are going away.
• Keep all drugs in cabinets that are inaccessible to your dog.  Make sure you find it immediately if you unintentionally throw a pill on the ground. Monitor everyone who needs assistance taking medicine, such as aged members of the family.
• Always read the flea and tick product instructions.
• While you can safely give your dogs some human foods as a treat, others are dangerous. Ask your vet if you have any concerns about what is healthy. Or stay in the safe zone and offer treats designed especially for dogs.
• Make sure you put all the rodenticides in a metal cabinet or high on racks. So, your dog can not get access to them. Keep in mind that by eating an infected mouse, your dog can be severely poisoned, so be very careful while using these items.  If you throw out rat poison, inform your neighbors, so they can save their pets from danger, and request them to do so for you.
• If you have to go out and your dog needs medical assistance, take medically needy/special services as due to pandemic the country’s situation is so unpredictable nowadays.