10 Common Things That Are Unexpectedly Toxic For Your Pet

If you’re a pet owner, you might already be familiar on how much they love chewing random objects lying around the house. You close your eyes for one second and the next thing you know, your favorite shirt is already inside your dog’s mouth. They can’t help it because that’s just the way they are.

This is the reason why you have to regularly clean your house thoroughly when you have a pet with you indoors. It is extremely beneficial not only for you, but also for them. Most people don’t know that there are various things that can be found inside their house that are actually toxic for their pets.

From simple household items, to decorative plants and insects, here’s a list of 10 common things that are unexpectedly toxic for your pet.

10. Chocolate

This information may not be new, especially for longtime dog owners. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine. These two components are the reason why chocolate makes you energetic. A high dose of theobromine and caffeine can cause muscular overstimulation, diarrhea, and even heart failure. Fortunately, human body is very efficient in breaking down these components. Dogs, on the other hand, are not capable of handling them.

9. Onions

Onions are also surprisingly bad for your pets. The reason is because of the compounds called N-propyl disulfide and sodium n-propylthiosulfate. These compounds reduce the production of glutathione in your body, which in turn causes the level of toxic hydrogen peroxide to rise. This process increases the risk of anemia and organ failure. While us, humans, are generally resistant enough to these side effects, pets (especially cats), are susceptible to these dangers.

8. Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nut is a nutritious snack rich in minerals, antioxidants and more. One would think that its nutritional content would be good for the dogs. Unfortunately, it’s the opposite.

It is still unknown why macadamia nut is toxic for the dogs. One theory suggests that it’s due to the manufacturing method of the highly valued snacks. Sure, macadamia nut’s toxicity can be easily cured but it’s still much better to prevent your dogs from ingesting them in the first place.

7. Grapes and raisins

Similar to the macadamia nut, grapes also causes trouble when eaten by dogs. Studies are yet to determine the reason why it’s toxic to them, but it is already confirmed that ingesting it causes acute kidney failure. Other symptoms include vomiting, weakness, appetite loss, diarrhea, and lack of urine production.

The worst part is its type of toxicity is a lot more severe and a lot more fatal than the macadamia nuts. If your dog has accidentally ingested this fruit, it is better to immediately bring him to the vet because once a kidney failure occurs, the chance of survival is pretty much zero.

Seedless and skinned grapes are also as toxic as the regular grapes. This implies that the toxicity comes from the flesh of the fruit itself. This means that raisins are also off the menu for the dogs. Pet owners should be more careful since it’s easy to get unnoticed when dropped on the floor.

6. Sweeteners

Despite the temptation to give your pet some candies as substitute for chocolates, resist the urge. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is usually found on candies and chewing gums. This compound triggers a release of insulin when ingested by pets especially dogs.

A sudden jump on the insulin level could cause a condition known as hypoglycemia. This condition, commonly known as low blood sugar, causes the dogs to vomit, trigger seizures, and lose coordination.

5. Lilies

Most cat owners know that cats have this weird habit of smelling (and eating) plants. Unfortunately, this cute little quirk could potentially turn into a big trouble.

According to Listverse.com, there are certain species of lilies that could be poisonous to cats. Upon ingestion, these species of lilies could cause vomiting, depression abnormal urination and dehydration. The toxic species include Easter, Tiger, and Asiatic lily.

Like the others in this list, it is still unknown why these plants are toxic to cats. If left untreated, the poison ingested could lead to kidney failure.

4. Avocado

Another surprising addition in the list of toxic things for your pets is the popular party fruit avocado.

Avocado fruit contains a natural anti-fungal compound called persin. This substance is pretty infamous for causing heart muscle and mammary gland necrosis in several species of mammal. We humans are one of the few types of mammals that could eat avocado without suffering horrible side-effects.

According to experts, dog and cat owners can safely feed Avocado fruit to their beloved pets. As of now, the confirmed mammals that could not eat avocado fruit are horses, mice, sheep, and rabbits.

3. Bread Dough

Contrary to tpopular belief, death from alcohol poisoning is not exclusive to humans. Alcohol poisoning could also happen on dogs through ingesting uncooked bread dough, providing it has yeast.

When consumed, the warmth of a dog’s stomach is enough to prompt the yeast cells from the bread dough to start ethanol fermentation. This process would allow for the carbon dioxide and ethanol to form through the breakdown of sugar in the dog’s body.

When this happens, the carbon dioxide on the dough would be enough to make the dog’s stomach bloat and cause gastric blockage. The worst part is the ethanol formed from the fermentation. This compound would travel on the dog’s bloodstream and could potentially cause alcohol poisoning. The symptoms include vomiting, elevated heart rate, hypothermia, bloated stomach and weakness.

2. Sago Palms

Sago palm is a popular backyard decoration for those who seek to give their home a little bit of tropical flavor. Unfortunately, these plants are dangerous when ingested by pets.

Sago palms possess a number of compounds with varying degree of toxicity. However, the dog owners should look out for the most prominent sago palm toxin called cyasin.

When ingested, cyasin could cause liver failure and horrible mutations. Symptoms include vomiting, urination, bruising, bleeding, seizures, and blood in excretions.

1. Fireflies

This last entry is for those who have pet reptiles. A firefly is one of the few insects that a pet owner should never ever try to feed to their pet lizards or amphibians.

Fireflies contain a deadly poison on their body called lucibufagins. This substance, when ingested, could be lethal. The symptoms of lucibufagins poisoning include vomiting, darkening of skin color, and if not treated immediately, death.