Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

1. Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine: These products all contain a substance called methylxanthines. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures and worst of all, DEATH!!

2. Grapes & Raisins: These can cause kidney failure.

3. Xylitol: Used as a sweetener in gum, candy, toothpaste, and many baked goods. This can cause insulin release which can lead to hypoglycemia, and liver failure.

4. Onions & Garlic: Can cause gastrointestinal irritation, and damage to red blood cells.

5. Raw Meat, Eggs: These can contain bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli. Just like in humans, this can lead to death. (and by the way, it won’t make your Pitbull more muscular!)

6. Bones: Sure in the wild animals eat bones. What we don’t know is how many become obstructed, or choke to death!  Bones can also splinter and puncture the digestive tract.

7. Alcohol: Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, coma, and death.

8. Yeast Dough: Can rise and cause gas to accumulate in the digestive system. This is very painful and can cause the stomach or intestines to rupture.

9. Macadamia Nuts: Cause weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia.

10. Avocado: While avocado has many benefits for humans, it can be fatal in our pets if enough is eaten.  Birds & rodents are especially sensitive.

11. Milk: We’ve all seen the cartoons where the cat gets a saucer of milk. However, pets don’t have significant amounts of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. This can cause diarrhea, and other digestive upset.

The best thing to do before you give your pet ANY people food is to call your vet. If you know, or suspect that your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t contact your vet immediately.