A Taste of the Kawarthas December 2019/January 2020 Issue

By Dr. Kelly Wasylciw, Veterinary Services

VET'S CORNER - Foods that are poisonous to your pet

As the holiday season is fast approaching, here is a friendly reminder of some of the foods, that if consumed, can be very dangerous for your pets. Sometimes even the smallest amount of some of these foods can be toxic for your pet. Once again, if you aren’t sure how much they ate, call your Vet and ask! Vets would rather take their time to figure out if the animal needs to be seen to induce vomiting to help ensure the pet doesn’t get sick, rather than trying to deal with a potentially very sick animal.

The list of foods below is by no means a complete list, however it does cover a lot of the foods that tend to be seen around the holiday season.

Chocolate & Caffeine - Chocolate contains theobromine. The amount of theobromine varies depending on the type of chocolate. Always call your Vet if your dog has eaten chocolate since the type (darkness) of chocolate and how much they ate compared to their size will indicate if they will become symptomatic. Symptoms can be mild such as vomiting and diarrhea, but they can be quite severe and include damage to the central nervous system and kidneys. Caffeine, when ingested, has similar symptoms as chocolate. Most severe signs usually occur if your animal eats coffee beans or tea bags.

Grapes and Raisins - Grapes and raisins have an unknown toxin which can cause kidney failure in some sensitive individuals. While some animals are fine ingesting a few grapes, there are recorded instances where a dog that ate just a single grape went into kidney failure and passed away. If you even suspect that your animal has eaten any grapes or raisins, let your Vet know as soon as possible!

Onions, Garlic and Spices - Onions, garlic and other spices can cause some gastrointestinal upsets in animals. In cases where too much is ingested, the toxins in these products can cause the red blood cells in the animal’s body to break down causing anemia. It can be very severe and your pet may require a blood transfusion in order to get their levels back up to normal. This effect can be very delayed (even up to a week after ingestion), so no immediate correlation may be identified as the cause for your pet’s sickness.

Xylitol - While it isn’t an individual food, is an artificial sweetener used in a lot of foods (most commonly found in gum). If your dog is chewing on something sweet and you aren’t sure, check the ingredients of the product to see if it includes xylitol. If enough xylitol is ingested it can cause an animal’s blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low. Xylitol can cause damage to the liver, so sometimes there are no obvious symptoms shown immediately. If your pet has ingested a product with Xylitol, your Veterinarian should always be contacted as soon as possible. Your pet may require bloodwork to check on liver enzymes every few weeks until levels return to normal.

Macadamia Nuts - When ingested by animals (especially dogs who seem to like to chew on them) can cause the animal to experience weakness, depression, tremors, vomiting and increased body temperatures depending on how many nuts are ingested. These symptoms can be delayed and may not start until 24 hours after ingestion. Thankfully, the symptoms don’t tend to last more than 24-48 hours. A Veterinarian should still be contacted in case your animal needs some supportive care while the toxin is in their system.

Poinsettia Plants - With the holidays being right around the corner, I know a lot of people bring beautiful large poinsettia plants into their homes. Remember that the flowers, leaves and even the seeds of the poinsettia are poisonous for all of our four-legged friends at home.

During the holiday season, the safest place for your fourlegged friend to be while any cooking or baking is being done is away from the kitchen. As always, if you are not 100% sure if something is safe for your pet to eat, ask your Veterinarian before feeding them. Remember to also call your Vet as soon as possible after ingestion of any of the foods above to find out what the next steps are (if any) that need to be taken for your pet’s well-being. Wishing a safe and happy holiday season to all of our four-legged friends!