Our dogs love to get into everything they shouldn’t and even though we do our best to keep poisonous or dangerous chewables out of reach, they somehow still seem to find them. We are going to review some of the most common household items that are poisonous to dogs, what symptoms to look out for if you think they may have ingested something, and what to do if they have.
Common Household Poisons
Foods
Dogs famously can’t have chocolate, grapes, and allium vegetables (like onions and garlic). However, the list of food borne poisons continues and widens to any items containing xylitol, a sugar substitute, that can cause drops in blood pressure or liver failure. They should keep away from anything containing caffeine or alcohol. Macadamia nuts are also a big no-no. In most cases, if your dog nips a little edge off of a chocolate bar or a piece of bread with garlic on it, it shouldn’t cause any real issues, as they would have to consume more than one ounce of chocolate per body weight pound for it to be considered poisonous, but dark chocolate or baking chocolate contain more cacao, making it more poisonous per ounce.
Everyday Items
Some house plants like lilies and poinsettias are toxic to dogs in small amounts to make sure you keep them high enough so they can’t be a tempting snack for your pup. The other household items are ones that are poisonous to us humans as well if ingested in high quantities. All kinds of medications can potentially be fatal to dogs if consumed in large quantities. Cleaning products like bleach or disinfectants and pesticides are highly toxic, even if they just come into contact with their skin, so be sure to keep those safely away from wandering dogs.
Signs of Poisoning and How to Help
The most common signs your dog has ingested a poisonous item are vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, seizures, increased lethargy, and muscle tremors. Generally, any change in their normal behavior is a good indicator that something may be wrong.
The first thing you should do is call your Vet because often, if you’ve caught it right away, you might be able to help them at home. Sometimes it is helpful to have your dog drink a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting if you know they ingested something, but it’s always safest to make sure this is the recommendation from your Veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Hotline. If your dog hasn’t vomited after 10-15 minutes you should head to your Vet’s office right away.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Phone Number: (888) 426-4435
The best course of action is preventative action so do your best to keep poisonous items away from prying paws so you can avoid any unwanted trips to the vet!
