Foods You Should Never Feed Your Pet

1 Chocolate

Chocolate tops the list of things cats and dogs must never eat—often called the ‘dog killer.’ It’s rich in theobromine, which stimulates the central nervous system and raises the heart rate while reducing blood flow to the brain.

Humans metabolize theobromine easily, but cats and dogs do so far more slowly, so it builds up to toxic levels. The higher the cocoa content, the greater the danger—cocoa-containing foods like tiramisu and chocolate-flavored products are all toxic to pets.

Mild cases bring vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and panting; severe cases lead to incontinence and muscle tremors, and at its worst, full-body seizures and death within hours. There is no specific antidote for theobromine poisoning, so act fast and get to a vet the moment you suspect it.

2 Grapes

The exact toxin in grapes is still under study, but grape poisoning—sometimes fatal—is well established.

After a large amount, most dogs develop acute kidney failure within 24 to 72 hours. Grape seeds contain cyanide compounds, and overdoing it can cause cyanide poisoning.

Signs include little or no urine, excessive urination, or blood in the urine, often with vomiting and diarrhea within hours, then refusal to eat, lethargy, and weakening breath that ends in kidney failure and death. Both grapes and raisins cause kidney failure; affected dogs show high blood calcium and potassium.

3 Onions, Leeks, and Scallions

Alliums contain disulfides that are harmless to people but oxidize red blood cells in cats and dogs, and their compounds damage those cells and can trigger gastroenteritis. Symptoms include anemia, bloody stools, blood in the urine, and vomiting, and in severe cases, death. Onion or garlic poisoning may not show up until days after eating.

A large amount of onion destroys red blood cells and causes severe anemia. Since red cells carry oxygen, blocked oxygen delivery is agonizing, and without prompt treatment the pet can die quickly.