Toxic To Cats

The wrong foods can harm your pets

"My feelings is you shouldn't give any human food to dogs or cats," said Carla Thompson, veterinarian at Piasano Animal Clinic.

There are some dog and cat recipes online that an owner can try out that are safe. At pet stores you can buy your dog a safe bone or your cat an edible herb.

Be on the look out around the house, though. Your pets are like kids; they can get into anything.

Cats love to chew on house plants, many of which can be toxic, especially lilies, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure they don't swallow their small toys, because they can get trapped and tangled in the digestive tract. Dogs will eat just about anything, even though it doesn't taste good — like your medications.

Go around the house and make sure cleaning chemicals have tight lids on, anti-freeze is stored safely away and not leaking out of your vehicle and any rat or insect poisons are not accessible. When using cleaning chemicals, make sure you clean them up right away before dog or cat paws tread through it and it later ends up in their mouths.

Five things you shouldn't feed your dog

1. Chocolate: A dog can celebrate your birthday in a different way. The caffeine and other chemicals in it can cause vomiting and diarrhea and be especially dangerous for the heart and nervous systems.

2. Onions, garlic ginger and nutmeg: "That's one of the worst in the group," Thompson said. They can cause anemia.

3. Grapes and raisins: Toxins in these can damage the kidneys.

4. Moldy and spoiled food: Toxic substance can build up in mold and cause a dog great harm.

5. Bones: Especially chicken bones, can cause a dog to choke and small pieces can get painfully stuck in a dog's teeth and digestive track.

Five things you shouldn't feed your cat

Note: Cats can't eat much of the same things dogs can't.

1. Baby food: Cats are cute like babies, but don't treat them like one — nutrition wise — because baby foods can cause deficiencies over time if fed in large amounts. They contain onion powder, which is toxic to both cats and dogs.

2. Fat trimmings: Just because it's generally not good for you, doesn't mean it's good for an animal. They can get pancreatitis, too.

3.

Shock and Gnaw: Common Plants That Are Toxic To Cats and Dogs ...

. Some plants have both poisonous and safe – or even beneficial – parts. For example, the bark, stems, and leaves of avocado trees are toxic to animals, but avocado fruit is perfectly safe. Actually, avocado fruit is used in many dog and cat food and supplements because it‘s high in essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin C,  vitamin E, potassium, and many other nutrients. In addition, avocado fruit contains no cholesterol, has very little sodium, and is high in monosaturated fats. Some plants are toxic if they’re eaten raw, but are safe if they’re cooked or in powdered form (or vice versa). The intensity of the reaction depends on a number of factors: the part of the plant ingested, the amount ingested, an individual’s existing health conditions, and the animal’s overall toxic load. Plants that are considered nontoxic can still cause severe symptoms in a specific dog or cat with an allergy to that plant. Ingesting nontoxic plants can also lead to symptoms of toxic exposure if they have been sprayed with poisonous chemicals.

The signs of exposure can appear immediately or can show up as much as 15 hours after sampling toxic plants, so people should act quickly if they see an animal exhibiting symptoms of exposure. If you know what they ate, get a sample of it – this helps veterinarians more quickly identify the toxin and decide on a treatment strategy.

Severe or persistent vomiting is the most common sign of a problem, so a veterinarian should be contacted if you see this happening. That said, dogs and cats often vomit after chewing on plants so this symptom alone does not always represent “toxic poisoning”. Animals usually are not facing a life and death situation when they experience sporadic vomiting without other signs of illnesses (such as seizures, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, or loss of appetite). But talking with a vet is the best thing to do if you’re concerned or if you suspect they ate something toxic.

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