There are many things around that are toxic or poisonous to dogs do you know what they all are?
In the wild animals learn from their parents and their own experiences plus instincts what’s safe to eat.
Our domesticated dogs on the other hand are by comparison pretty hopeless at deciding what it’s ok to munch on. Indeed some dogs will try to eat anything and everything edible or not as, many dog owners will have experienced.
You might see what they ate when you weren’t looking either through seeing what they bring up when sick or what comes out the back end eventually! Even worse you might be seeing what the vet has had to extract from their innards which got blocked up!
The worst case scenario is your dog ingests something that is toxic to them and it sadly kills them!
Cheery stuff! – No not really but it pays to know what you must stop your dog eating to prevent them from risking their lives or giving you a whopping vet bill.
It’s common sense to stop your dog from eating non edible stuff in or outside of the home but dogs can be quick and you need to keep your wits about you.
One of our dogs does a great job of finding the tennis balls and other types of soft ball that other dogs have not retrieved. The problem is she is not content with simply shredding these balls she finds! She will rip them in to small pieces and swallow them! We have to be alert when out on a walk and get to her quickly if we suspect she’s found a ball.
The list of things that are toxic or poisonous to dogs is pretty big. Some of these things can make your dog pretty ill. You know the sort of thing – the not so pleasant sickness & diarrhea! Other stuff can cause long term damage to organs or worse still be fatal!
The In-edibles
There is the fairly obvious stuff – the stuff you wouldn’t ingest yourself but your dog might have a go. Some examples of what I mean would be –
Kids toys particularly small plastic ones – very chewable especially by puppies but watch the older dogs as well!
Similarly plastic food trays can be another favourite for dogs if they get the chance!
Playdough – not in itself poisonous but it has a lot of salt in it and can cause sodium toxicosis! At its worst this can cause brain, heart and liver damage!. If you think your dog has eaten some playdough or anything else high in salt you should consult your vet!
Cleaning products, dishwasher tabs, pesticides such as slug pellets, antifreeze, poisons for vermin etc.etc.
You can find loads of good articles online with extensive lists if your interested but in our view if you use good old commonsense you shouldn’t go far wrong.
We wouldn’t let our kids near these sorts of things so hopefully they’re out of the way of dogs as well.
Always talk to your vet if you suspect your dog has munched or drank these sorts of things.
Personally I’ve never come across anyone who’s dog has eaten batteries but it happens!
These days we seem to have loads of batteries of all types in our homes in no end of items.
Your dog may find a loose battery lying around that’s come out of a gadget or kids toy or they might chew something that has batteries in it!
Whatever the scenario if you suspect your dog has ingested a battery then you really do need to get them to a vet!
There’s a really detailed article about dogs and batteries that you will find at this link – My Dog Ate A Battery
Ok so that’s a few of the things you need to think about when you have a dog. Most of it is common sense.
Just like when you have small children around you need to make things safe for them in & around your home and keep your wits about you – the same goes for your dog!
The Edibles
Let’s now consider some of the other things that are toxic or poisonous to dogs that you may or may not be aware of. These are the natural edibles you might encounter when out with your dog or the foodstuffs that we eat.
Most people will know that the chocolate we eat is a definite no no for dogs!
Our chocolate contains a substance called theobromine which can be fatal for dogs.
Dark chocolate and non sweetened cooking chocolate are the worst!
Here’s the other stuff to keep your dog away from – and remember you should always consult you vet if you think your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have!
- Artificial sweetener Xylitol and products that contain it. Dogs are very sensitive to this and even small amounts can be toxic. It can cause hypoglycaemia which is linked to fatal liver failure.
- Onions & Garlic. These are toxic to dogs and onions in particular are very harmful. They can cause red blood cell damage that can result in anemia!
- Avocado – if you don’t want to be clearing up your dogs sick and diarrhoea then don’t let them eat avocado. It’s the persin in avocado that does it to them! Also the stone is a risk – it could block their gut!
- Grapes, Raisins, Sultanas – these are bad news for your dog even in in a cooked form such as in a cake! if your dog’s sensitive to the toxin in them then it could be fatal!
- Macadamia nuts – whilst in their system, the toxin can cause high temp, weakness, sickness and trembling.
- Alcohol – dogs like humans are adversely affected by alcohol! Small amounts can have a significant impact! It probably wouldn’t take much to kill your dog!
Just as it is for us, there are many plants and fungi that are toxic to dogs.
Fortunately many will only cause the inevitable sickness and diarrhea!
Others would though deadly, need to be eaten in such large quantities that, it is unlikely your dog would be affected.
There are however some that can have significant consequences or even be deadly! If you come across them when out walking or have them in your garden take care!
- Acorns – munching on a few acorns is probably going to end up with your dog being sick and having diarrhoea. Muching on them regularly could cause problems for kidneys and liver.
- Castor oil plants – if you have these in your garden be careful as they are deadly to us an dogs. A tiny amount can kill!
- Yew – the berries and foliage can be fatal to dogs and you might not get any symptoms so keep them of this!
- The Prunus Family stones – these are your damsons, cherries, plumbs, etc. The stones in these fruits contain cyanogenic glycosides. These can be turned in to hydrogen cyanide in the body! This can result in sudden death!
- Narcissus bulbs – your daffodil and tulip bulbs are not great for dogs. Eating them can cause sickness, lethargy and make them a bit wobbly!
If you want to see other plants that can be toxic to your hound then the Dogs Trust have a pretty good extensive list with the name of the plants and any known effects.
You can view the PDF file at this link – Dogs Trust Poisonous Substances
Hope you found this post about the things that can be poisonous to dogs helpful.
Please feel free to comment especially if we’ve made and error.
