Any good dog owner knows it’s a bad idea to feed your dog chocolate. And you know at Christmas to keep the pooch out of the poinsettias. But the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center handled more than 17,000 cases of poisoned pets in 2009 — and not all of them were because Snarf got into your Cadbury’s stash.
There are many, many human foods that will cause an adverse reaction when consumed by canines, but our science-y brethren at Consumer Reports rounded up this list of common pooch-poisoners:
* Alcohol
* Avocados
* Chocolate
* Coffee grounds
* Grapes and raisins
* Gum or candy with xylitol
* Human vitamin supplements
* Macadamia nuts
* Mushrooms
* Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, powder)
* Salt
* Tea
* Tobacco
* Yeast dough
Different foods cause different problems in dogs, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, neurological or blood problems, and even organ failure.
If you think your pet has eaten something poisonous, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center hotline (888-426-4435; a consultation fee may apply).
For more information and links to helpful sites, check out the full article over at ConsumerReports.org.
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As I have a beagle, a lab, a St.Bernard, and a dog rescued from a dump – I have been witness to astounding feats of panic eating, dumpster diving and counter surfing.
I highly recommend asking your vet about how to properly use hydrogen peroxide to get your pup to disgorge that 3 pounds of fudge they snagged. I’m not licensed, so I won’t post how to use a baby syringe full of undiluted hydrogen peroxide squirted down Rover’s throat – ask your vet how to do this emergency procedure.
My vet told me that chocolate is only harmful to about 3% of dogs. She started feeding her dogs chocolate as a treat after they ate a three-pound box of chocolates while she was away from home. Before I’d heard about the fatal effects of chocolate on dogs, I fed my dog chocolate occasionally. After I heard about it, he didn’t get chocolate for a long time. After speaking with my vet, I once again started giving him chocolate (his absolute favorite food) as a treat, since it hadn’t hurt him before I heard about the chocolate problem. He is a big dog, he’s 13 years old, and he still acts like a pup most of the time, except when his arthritis acts up.