Human foods that are fatal to dogs

February 1st, 2008

By Anu Maurya

A dog had ingested some unfamiliar substance which shortly put the dog in acute distress with liver toxicity and almost facing death. With immediate medical attention, the dog was treated and survived this horrible ordeal. The unknown substance was later identified to be wild mushrooms and human breath mints.

Wild mushrooms are very toxic, but human breath mints are also fatal to dogs — it can cause hypoglycemia, liver failure and even death in dogs. The culprit ingredient in the breath mints is Xylitol.

Xylitol is a substitute for sugar, an artificial sweetener used in sugar-free human edible goods, such as mints, chewing gums, candy, toothpaste and even baked goods. According to the Associate Content’s website, there is a significant rise in xylitol poisonings in dogs over the past years.

The high demand of low calorie, sugar-free products in the human food industry contributes to this dramatic increase in xylitol poisonings in dogs

Some symptoms of xylitol poisonings in dogs are — sudden drop in blood sugar, seizers, distress, vomiting and loss of coordination. These symptoms can appear within 30 minutes of ingesting xylitol or after several hours. Immediate medical treatment is crucial for a dog with xylitol poisoning.

Other foods that are toxic to dogs:
- Grapes/Raisins:
“Around 1989, the APCC began noticing a trend in dogs who had eaten grapes or raisins: Nearly all developed acute renal (kidney) failure.” Read more ›
- Chocolate and Caffeine
- Macadamia Nuts
- Mushroom
- Onion

Sources:
www.associatedcontent.com
www.aspca.org

Entry Filed under: Health and Nutrition