Just caught my cat at my left over pizza. There was a slice of onion on it, but when I caught him I he was not eating it, neither was there bite marks on it. However, I think he munched on some green pepper, and of course most likely licked the pizza sauce.

The amount he had was probably very little, because I caught him right away, but I am still a bit concerned. He seems fine.

I never give human food to my cats, so I get a bit worried when they get into something.

Also, I never knew grapes were bad for cats. One fell on the floor, but luckily my cats only sniffed at it and didn't seem to care to eat it.

my cat ate a big malt loaf. now i am worried about him. he is a pig. he also ate half a pain au chocolat. he rips up the packaging.

I live on a potato farm and I didn't know that raw potatoes weren't good for them:) but this article really helped me.

Are pickles okay for cats?

Is boiled corn kernels or corn on the cob toxic for cats?

if your dog is ever diagnosed with gastro problems be sure they know what they are talking about. my little rat terrier, pickles, has been having problems for two years. every vet that has seen her missed the real problem: her spine. make them x-ray their spine and look for problems there. the spine of course holds the nerves which in turn send signals to the body. under abnormal conditions it sends the wrong signals, affecting their gastrointestinal tract. it may be too late for my pickles. we took her to vet today, she was an older woman we'd never seen before. within one hour she had pickles on intraveneous fluids, sedated, enema to get backed up rotten food out of her, showed us the x-ray and explained to us that this had been the cause of her problems from the start. if only the several vets who had seen her before had caught it she wouldn't be so bad that she couldn't take general anesthesia, her kidneys wouldn't be damaged, her digestive system inflamed, in shock when she arrived, white cell count out of sight, and the pain she was having. she is a bright, intelligent, energetic little dog and other than bowel problems never showed any sign of the seriousness of her condition until today. she wasn't eating, was drinking, and straining to pass stool so hard we thought she would break a bone trying. thank god after two days of this we knew this wasn't like before. she wasn't having a "bout of food allergies" or anything that began with the stomach. vets and human physicians are stupid or careless. i've seen people, including myself, be repeatedly misdiagnosed. i have a voice to get it across to them, give your dog a voice. When they say food allergies, gastrointestinal problems, demand they check the spine. If this would have been caught earlier by a knowledgeable doctor she wouldn't be close to death. her only chance is this very quick and unusually smart doc. I am so mad right now that my little girl has gotten to near death just because no one knew what they were doing. Too many dogs have treatable medical problems, if caught early, and the vet really knows his/her stuff.

my dog recently died suddenly and the only thing I can think of the symptoms she had - vomiting, foaming at the mouth, lethargy, floppiness, emitting smells - could come from poisoning

there was a yellow food fresh bag laying on the floor when I got home - could that have been toxic to her?

To take the guesswork out of this dialog, please refer to the authoritative source below ... the AVMA (American Veterinary Medicine Association). It is consistent with this article. Dr. Steven R. Hansen, director of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, gives pet owners a full list of foods, plants, chemicals and drugs that are commonly found in people’s homes that can be deadly.

An important aspect of being a good (and responsible) pet owner is to have the discipline *not* to feed (or expose) them to things that taste good but you know can cause them harm.

About the grapes: conventional grapes are one of the most pesticide-riddled crops around, it's more concentrated in raisins, making them our most poisoned produce - tragic irony since that's what many parents try to give their little kids as a healthy snack.

I used to feed my dog organic grapes with no problem. Do you, anon26635, bend over backwards to minimize use of chemicals in your vineyards? That would explain it. I'd like to know.

Also, I can corroborate the successful elimination of seizures (in a cat who was having them countless times daily) using Essential Fatty Acids - in our case not just fish oil but a mix of omega oils. Again, the purity is really important, since fats hold toxins. So vegetable oils should be organic & the brand should be one of those that ensures no mercury in their fish oil: Nordic Naturals and Carlsen are probably the most reputable, followed by Spectrum.

I too have sometimes given my dog tiny amounts of garlic therapeutically, and I find none of my holistic health books give very specific info on how much Vit K (I believe that's the culprit, so it's also onions, cabbage, many other otherwise healthy foods) will result in the deadly Heinz anemia. Does anyone know?

Animals don't know when they're being poisoned, any more than people do. And one doesn't know about allergies either until after the fact IF one makes the connection.

Thanks, everyone, it's great to share this very important information.

I think many of the foods discussed may be breed specific. *But* who wants to volunteer their pet? I give my pets garlic and they tend to be more stinky but their blood and coloring (pinkness) stays consistent. They are chihuahuas and french bulldogs. I would say those 2 breeds wouldn't have a problem with garlic.

Also if you do your homework you will find that human grade food (alis: Treats, left overs, etc) are very healthy for your dog. Avoid things you wouldn't eat if you were on a diet or trying to get healthy such as: everything and anything fried, candy, fat, butter/crisco, processed foods, coffee, soda, alcohol... you get it.

Tomatoes are good for dogs!

I get so angry at my family whenever they feed my dog "small treats" off of their dinner plates. This article will be very useful to show them that it is not healthy to feed him all of those "treats". Thanks to everyone for the great advice!

I just got an exotic cat and switched over to a natural food after visiting this site and it said that tomatoes were toxic. I looked and noticed that nearly all foods had tomatoes in them. After I did a little research I found that it is in fact the green part of a tomato that contains the toxin.

Is cinnamon toxic to dogs? What if a dog ate about a 1/2 cup of cinnamon?

OK, not to be harsh but why are people risking their pets' health? Of 100% of people who smoke, not all 100% die of lung cancer so does that make smoking safe?

Let's let our children play in the street, play with matches and talk to strangers since it isn't fatal *each* and every time a child may do it. Get the point?

My cats love watermelon! Are natural sugars harmful to cats?

First, giving dogs garlic is a great way to keep fleas and ticks off them as they excrete it through the skin.

Chocolate is not harmful as my dogs eat it from time to time without any problem--you'd have to give your dog a *substantial* amount (like, half the animals weight!) of chocolate to kill them.

Tomatoes? Our dogs eat leftover pizza crusts all the time.

Three different breeds, all still quite healthy. As for caffeine, you'd have to give your pets *cups* of coffee or tea to harm them (again, it's a body weight to toxin issue).

Its funny about this grapes and dogs thing. We own a winery and a

number of vineyards and during harvest and during grape crush my dog

eats *pounds* of grapes. Never gets sick...for 3 years now. And I

can't stop him either...as he runs loose in the vineyard during

harvest. I need some actual real data from a bonafide scientific

expert/doctor regarding this.

Please ignore the anonymous commenter who scoffed at the risks of feeding chocolate to dogs. It's not an 'allergy', it's not a matter of building up resistance or immunity.

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs, cats, horses, and many other animals. They don't metabolize it well, so depending on the size and species of the animal, a small amount could be deadly. (Humans metabolize it very well--that's why it's not a problem for us.)

Google "theobromine toxicity" or "chocolate toxicity" for yourself, if you need more convincing. Don't take a risk with your pet's life because some jackass on the Internet said their pet never had problems.

I always love it when people freak out about how dogs and cats should never be fed anything but meat products because they're carnivores. People like that are generally in the "You're a horrible pet owner, how could you?" self-righteous category.

This is misleading to people. What you fail to realize is that your 'carnivorous' pet--were he living and hunting in the wild--would not be eating steak and bones from the butcher. Wild wolves and cats eat just about *all* of their prey--that includes the stomach and stomach contents. Since they prey largely on herbivores, that means that they *are*--in fact--getting plant matter as part of a normal, healthy diet.

Also, it should be pointed out that your 'carnivorous' canine or feline's wild relatives will not live nearly as long as your pet if you care for him or her properly. Perforated intestines from bone fragments, and death due to prey-borne illness happen in the wild as well.

Can you tell me if fresh brussel sprout leaves are poisonous to cats? And, what about fresh green beans? My cat is always getting into the grocery bags and my basket when I come back from the Farmer's market and took a fresh green bean out of the bag as well as a brussel sprout before I realized it.

I have a 10 year old mini dachshund. I made the mistake early on giving her tidbits of our food from the table. Not everything of course but she loves beans of all kinds especially kidney. I also feed her chicken, stewed of course, and some fruit. I don't know if any of this is hurting her but she seems very healthy

I have a cat that is a fanatic for raw tomatoes, has been ever since he was a kitten. I had never heard of them being toxic to cats, and I even asked the vet if it was ok to feed them to him. Anytime I slice one I usually give him some diced pieces to eat (equivalent of about one sandwich slice usually). He's never gotten sick or had any type of problem. Any thoughts on why?

What about spices? like salt, pepper and red chili powder that some food contains. I used to have a cat that used to love spiced food and he didnt show any symptoms.

And as far as i know, my cat Lika now stays away from food containing onion, garlic and cakes which contains raisins. Even when i mix it up with her favorite dish and offer it to her she just smells it and refuses to eat it.

However, there is this one other problem though. Shes a sucker for beer, she goes crazy every time she smells the beer. Once i spilled beer on the floor, then i went to the kitchen to grab a rag and when i came back she had just finished licking the last drop off the floor.

Re post: "cats and dogs are carnivores"

This is incorrect. Cats are carnivores, but dogs are omnivores.

Dogs and cats are CARNIVORES, they shouldn't be fed any vegetable, fruit, or grain products; their digestive systems can't process them.

Toxic salmon? Some fish could be toxic, but more likely parasites in the fish could cause health problems, any raw meat fed to cats or dogs should be frozen first to kill worms and other parasites.

Chicken bones are more a problem for dogs, and no pet should ever be given cooked bones. Also avoid the weight baring bones of large herbivores, like leg bones from cows. Softer raw meaty bones are good for the pet, the bone is an excellent source of calcium, freeze all raw meats for 24+ hours first.

Whenever giving your pet treats, always remember, your pet is a carnivore thats built to hunt, kill, and eat their entire prey. Non-animal products are likely to be unhealthy for them.

An allergic reaction is different than toxicity. If something is toxic to an animal, you may not notice any reaction from them, but over the long-term, it will affect their liver. Kind of like if you drink alcohol, too much over the years will destroy your liver, but in the meantime, you don't notice anything.

We have a friend whose 100 lb Chessy was having seizures. When I told her that grapes are toxic, she stopped giving them to her and she hasn't had a seizure in 2 years.

Garlic, in small amounts will NOT kill your dog. It's a useful flea/tick/skeeter deterrent. It does the same for cats but there's a higher chance of toxicity - I do 1 week on 2 weeks off for the cats (it can cause a certain type of anemia in cats).

hey anon3347, try smelling pepper, it probably makes you want to sneeze. you also probably close your eyes when sneezing. i think your cat is feeling the sensation of wanting to sneeze and his eyes are closing and making him look tired.

Dear Readers:

Please do not confuse what a dog or cat likes with what is good for the animal. ANY dog will eat chocolate because it TASTES good. SO DOES ANTI-FREEZE!! But it is NOT good for the animal and can cause serious problems or even death. If you've gotten away with it that only means the animal didn't have enough to be fatal.

Ask yourself if a "little poison" is okay because it won't kill you. Even small amounts of toxic foods are taxing on the animal's system and can lead to an impaired immune system or other problems over time. Err on the side of caution. Stick with healthy foods. There are plenty of them!!

So today I was talking to a pet food specialist at a pet store, and we were comparing ingredients on the food bags of different brands. They all had tomatoes in them. Also, not all but most dog foods have garlic in them. So, how bout some brainy person researches WHY these foods are toxic to animals? I'm not much of a "because I said so" person. I like to see the science behind it all.

hi if you want to train your dog without classes it takes a lot of time and patience and most of all love and forgiveness same as marriage. Best of luck I have 3 and they are all great.

Have you never heard that eating fresh uncooked west coast salmon will kill a dog. If this is not so, please let me know. It is widely believed here in the west.

My 16 1/2 year old cat loves to eat strange food, including grapes, peaches, green peppers, tomato sauce, black olives, and has not had a problem. He just has the beginning of kidney disease from age. But now that I know, no more grapes and tomato sauce. Great article and responses.

Gee, mish999, you sound like a real peach! I'm glad you don't have access to MY pets....

My shih tzu, Toby, ate chocolate of all kinds every day of his life and never got sick... except once when he got into a box of rum-filled chocolates. :) I have photos of myself (as a toddler) and Toby doing a kind of "one for you, one for me" with my easter chocolates. My best friend's beagle LOVES chocolate too and has never gotten sick.

So I think the chocolate allergy depends on the dog and its lifestyle... if your dog has never eaten chocolate and all of a sudden ingests a whole easter bunny, then yah he's going to get very very sick. But if he's built up an immunity to it, then he'll be alright.

i'm glad i found this webpage. i often force feed beer to my moms dog for a bit of fun. its a king charles spaniel and it makes her wobbley and then she farts a lot. but i didn't realise it was poisonous to dogs.

thanks wisegeek

Is popcorn ok? My 5 year old pomm/shitzu loves popcorn!!

Why do manufactures of animal products recommend and use garlic for fleas and such when it is toxic to pets?

Also, just wondering about brussel sprouts? My kitten loves them. I do not put any seasonings on them, just a little butter sometimes.

I also have a rather large male cat who loves raisins. Gosh - I hope he has not sustained any long term damage by my giving them to him. Never again. Guess animals are like people, we sometimes crave things that are not good for us! :o)

Also, I keep reading about allergic reactions. Seems to me there is a difference between allergies and toxicity. You do not always know when the liver or kidneys are being damaged until it is too late!

With all the questions you guys have about why your animal isn't showing signs of toxicity when they eat these things, it's quite simple if you compare them to humans, because humans have different allergies, and different tolerance levels. The same is true of other animals, like dogs and cats. Some may be more sensitive to certain food than others, different breeds may be more or less tolerant than others. Greyhounds are a good example of finicky stomachs, they can actually die from eating grapes/raisins, according to the Phoenix Arizona Greyhound Rescue.

Also, if you give two dogs the same amount of chocolate, one being a tiny dog and one being a very large dog, both of which have the same exact tolerance level to theobromine, the smaller dog will have more signs of distress. This is because the concentration of chocolate in the smaller dog is greater, because of the very fact that it is smaller. Think of two glasses of water, one half full, one completely full. Try dissolving the same amount of salt in each. The smaller amount will not be able to dissolve as much salt as the cup that is full, and you will be able to see the salt in the water. Now think of the water as the dog, and the salt as a toxin. Does the fact that the smaller dog is more sensitive to the same amount of chocolate as the large dog mean it is simply more allergic?

I hope that helps...

Never knew that about grapes...must be part of the reason why my dog has kidney problems now. He used to get them all the time. And I knew that turkey had to have some bad affect on them. He always got real sick after eating it.

I've heard Oreo's aren't as much of a problem because they actually don't have very much chocolate in them.

I'm so thankful for the information. I almost got a heart attack when I read that onions are toxic for dogs as I just gave my maltese ground turkey with diced onions. I immediately pray for cleansing of any toxins in her system. Also, for God's healing and forgiveness for my ignorance. I love my coco very much and would want her to live a long life.

My cat got like... half a small spoon of tomato sauce, it was some leftovers laying on the table. Will it do any harm?

are there any houseplants that are toxic to animals? i had a cat who must've ingested something toxic because all of a sudden he had liver failure. his eyes turned bright yellow, and it was very sad. to this day, we don't know what he ingested--he was otherwise very healthy and not very old. also, my crazy dog eats chocolate whenever she can get a hold of it. she once ate an ENTIRE box of oreos off of the counter. not one sign of toxicity -- i was going to rush her off to the vet, but we decided to take a wait and see approach. that was several years ago. she is now 11 years old.

she also loves skittles, and every once in a while we'll throw one or two her way!

Hello,

Thank you soooooooooooooooo much!! I will print out this page and post it on the wall in the kitchen and make copies for my family and friends.

i have fed my dog cherry tomatoes once, 1 grape, and fried onion nothing happened. was it because it was just a small quantity or does even a little bit matter?

well thanx, now i know what not to give my dog.

is watermelon toxic to cats?

my dog has gotten a ton of chocolate and gets it off counters and things, but she hasn't seemed like she is sick. she probably gets into about a piece of chocolate candy about every 2 or 3 weeks. is that too much?

also, i know that xylatol (i have no idea how to spell it, but it's the stuff that's in trident gum) is toxic to dogs, i heard it on the news.

Anonymous:

Say I'm allergic to grapes and I've never had them before. Then I see you, my bestest friend in the world, enjoying grapes and I want to try some too. Of course, I'd be excited and I sure wouldn't know that it's bad for me.

Antifreeze is also toxic to cats and dogs.

How can i train my dog without taking it to an obedience school?

For at least the last year or two my cat (she is about 3 and a half) has been OBSESSED with tomatoes. She steals whole ones when we aren't around, and as soon as I pull out the cutting board, she jumps up onto the table next to me. If I don't dice up some tomatoes and put them in her bowl, she tries to steal the tomatoes that I am cutting for myself.

She basically gets tomatoes at least once a day, and we have done this for as long as I noticed that she liked them...she has never shown any ill-effects from consuming them. It makes me wonder what exactly about tomatoes has been toxic to cats.

Is it true that it depends on the size of the dog if chocolate is poisonous? Like, if a little dog eats some chocolate, it might have worse effects than if a big dog did? And does it matter if it is dark or milk chocolate?

I have five dogs with seizures. After years of horrible seizures I found that fish oil has stopped them. We used to have anywhere from three to ten seizures every week among the dogs. Each seizure lasted anywhere from ten to sixty minutes. Now it's been three months since any have had seizures and it only lasted a couple of minutes. It was only 25% of the intensity also. One fish oil capsule a day, put on something they like or just put on the tongue works for a small to average size dog. A large dog would need two a day.

Regarding the question of the owner of, Mischief the cat. Cats, and often many predatory species, will hide illness very well. Often cats will try to hide when they are near death. Onions are also toxic to dogs, especially small breeds. A Dragon Tree, which is a common household plant, is also a toxin to cats.

How about pepper? My cat Elvis loves smelling pepper from the shaker - he'll sit next to it with the shaker opening close to his nose and just constantly smell it. I've noticed he appears to look a little sleepy while this is going on but am wondering if this is a reaction or just typical feline malaise? Thanks for the help!

Hi, I was just wondering what is wrong with turkey skin - as long as it has not been rubbed down with spices?

our dog is a Weimaraner and he has seizures and is taking medicine for them, is there any kind of food that will help set them off.

I have a cat, Mischief, whom very much so LOVES tomatoes. I didn't realize that they were toxic to him till I read this. He has ate several large tomatoes and I have never noticed any allergic reactions in him from this. Is he just an odd cat? or does he hide it well that they make him ill? Lord knows I do try to hide them fore I myself love tomatoes and don't like sharing (ruining) them, alas he will find where they are in a high cabinet, in the pantry, in the fridge and get them. Any recomendations?

It's not a food, but ibuprofen is also very toxic to dogs. Brands like Advil which are sugar-coated can be the most dangerous because dogs will snarf them down.

Heh..my cat loves the smell of my 85% cocoa dark chocolate that I am fond of..

I obviously don't let her have it, but he is rather persistant :P

My cat gets very excited when sees grapes. He is all after them.

So how come his instinct doesn't tell him it's allergic.