Top 6 Holiday Pet Toxins

All I want for Christmas is to avoid the vet.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and treats galore, it can be a busy time in the vet world seeing pets eat stuff that they shouldn’t, and potentially having some pretty sever side effects.

Here is a list of some foods you should make sure your pet avoids this holiday season (and every other day of the year)

Chocolate 

The severity of chocolate toxicity relies heavily on the size of the dog, the type of chocolate it ate and how much it ate.  The chemical culprit are methylxanthines, specifically theobromine and caffeine. Also be mindful of other toxins lurking within the chocolate such as raisins, macadamia nuts, coffee beans, or xylitol.

Causes: vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, elevated heart rate, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and death

Raisins, Grapes & Currants

How exactly these little wrinkly fruit nuggets cause toxicity is unknown, and unlike many other things is not dose dependant, which means your German Shepherd could eat one grape and either be fine, or we could see clinical signs.

Causes: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, acute kidney failure

Cooked Bones

While these can seem pretty tempting to give to our pets as a nice holiday treat they can have some pretty severe consequences. Cooked bones splinter very easily and can cause issues all throughout the digestive system.

Causes: oral trauma and bleeding, choking, intestinal obstruction or perforation, difficulty defecating, bloody bowel movements

Xylitol

This is a very common sugar substitute found in all sorts of foods, and oral hygiene products. The scariest thing about xylitol (aside from the life threatening drop in blood sugar is causes for our pets) is how sneaky it can be in so many products. The many aliases of xylitol can include sugar alcohol, birch sugar, it can also be hidden under “inactive ingredients” or “other ingredients” on medications and supplements. Many packages also do not disclose the amount of xylitol in the product so if you think you pet has ingested any, call the Pet Poison Helpline right away. 

Causes: dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, acute liver failure, death

Onion, Garlic and Chives (or anything in the Allium family)

These are staples in my house year-round but with all the savoury goodness happening this time of year it’s important that no one is treating pets (purposefully or accidentally ) with anything containing these ingredients. Especially garlic since it is 5x more potent than onions. Toxic doses can cause oxidative damage to the red blood cells, which can cause them to be more likely to rupture resulting in anemia. Along with this they can also irritate the gastrointestinal system. Clinical signs may not present for several days after ingestion. 

Causes: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anemia (pale gums, collapse)

Alcohol

Most people are smart enough to not offer their pet an alcoholic beverage (or at least I hope so) but aside from your typical culprits, alcohol, specifically ethanol can also be found in rum cakes, or in raw dough that has fermenting yeast in it. 

Causes: vomiting, stumbling, hypothermia, low blood sugar, seizures

What should you do if you think your pet has gotten into something it shouldn’t have? First gather as much information as you can, is there a wrapper that has ingredients on it, can you determine how much exactly they ate, and at what time. Next contact a veterinarian ASAP and determine if what they ate was toxic or problematic, they’ll tell you if you need to get your butt in the car and start driving. They may also direct you to call Pet Poison Helpline, this is an excellent resource that veterinary professionals use all the time. There is a fee to contact them but let me tell you it is WORTH.IT. You’ll speak to veterinary professionals who’s sole job it is to help animals who are exposed to toxins, this will include providing a detailed treatment plan to help guide your veterinarian on how to treat your pet. 

So remember to keep an eye on your furry friend, no one wants a surprise visit to the emergency hospital for Christmas. 

This article isn’t meant to be hard and fast medical advice, if you’re concerned about your pet contact your veterinarian. The main source for this article is www.petpoisonhelpline.com, if you are planning on feeding your dog any human food be sure to give it a search on their website to make sure it’s safe first!

Boop ya later.