5 Toxic Foods to Avoid Feeding Pets
From backyard barbecues to pool parties and other party-oriented gatherings, celebrations are a chance for our dogs and cats to be exposed to foods that pique their curiosity: juicy baby back ribs, heavenly smelling burgers, buttered fish, and other drool-worthy treats. While you think you may be inviting your pet to eat something here and there, you may be accidentally poisoning your furry companion. To avoid a weekend veterinary emergency room visit, keep these popular foods out of reach of your pet. 1. Alcohol Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and quickly affects pets. Pets can easily be drawn to a glass of wine, beer, or especially sangria left on the floor during a party. Drinking alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature. Poisoned animals can experience seizures and respiratory failure. Desserts that contain alcohol or dough that contain yeast are often the unknown culprits. 2. Fat and Bone Trimmings Table scraps often contain meat fat that a human did not eat as well as bones. Both are dangerous for dogs. Fat extracted from meat, both cooked and raw, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. And while it seems natural to give a dog a bone, a dog can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and cause an obstruction or lacerations to your dog's digestive system. Have a lidded trash cans or a sealable trash bag readily available so your pet can't snoop for debris or bones. Be sure to ask children and other partygoers to not throw chicken, pork, turkey, or rib bones on the bottom, as they're going to be easily accessible to your pets. 3. Fatty Foods Foods high in fat can cause vomit and dysentery. Pancreatitis often follows the ingestion of fatty flour in dogs. Certain breeds such as miniature schnauzers, Shetland sheepdogs, and Yorkshire terriers appear to be more susceptible to a pancreatitis attack than other breeds. Fight the temptation to share leftover fast food, junk food, or foods cooked in fat, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, steak, pork chops, and fried chicken with your dog. 4. Garlic Onion Dogs Onions and Garlic Onions and Garlic Onions are a popular barbecue item, frequently used in burgers, cut as a condiment for hot dogs, deep-fried as a snack, and used as an ingredient in egg salads, salads, and sauces, to name a few. . Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulfate that is toxic to cats and dogs. Ingesting onions, onion powder, or even cooked onion causes a condition called hemolytic anemia, which is characterized by damage to red blood cells. In other words, onion toxicity can cause red blood cells circulating in your pet's body to explode. A small amount is often toxic to your dog or cat. Garlic, chives, and leeks are also part of the Alliums family and are poisonous to both dogs and cats. Garlic is a common ingredient used in hamburgers. It is considered to be approximately five times more potent than onions, causing oxidative damage to red blood cells and stomach upset (e.g., Nausea, oral irritation, drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea). Onion and garlic poisoning may have a late onset and clinical signs might not be apparent for several days. Immediate veterinary attention is recommended. 5. Raw Fish Meat Raw meat and fish It is one thing to properly prepare and feed your pet a raw food diet; another is if your pet surfs and eats raw meat or fish that has not been handled with care. Raw meat and fish, like raw eggs, can contain bacteria that cause gastrointestinal disorder. Keep your raw meat and fish in an area where your pet cannot unknowingly help himself to a toxic substance. Certain types of fish, such as salmon, trout, tarpon, or sturgeon, may contain a parasite that causes "fish disease." If left untreated, the disease can be fatal within 2 weeks. The first signs of illness are vomiting, fever, and enormous lymph nodes. Cooking the fish thoroughly will kill the parasite and protect your dog.