Many Food Toxins Can Harm Your Pet

There are a wide variety of human foods which actually contain toxins that are dangerous to pets. What’s worse is that different animals obviously have different physiologies. Food that might be dangerous to one animal is perfectly fine, or even encouraged in another. Foods that are created for pets usually can avoid these toxins. It’s human food that’s the problem. 

It’s very common for humans to offer their pets food that we eat with no issues. They can be leftovers, or treats. Pets may also get food in sneaky ways. There’s plenty of dogs that have managed to learn to open the refrigerator on their own. It’s important to try to keep these foods away from your pets, but in order to do so, you need to know which foods actually have dangerous toxins in them! 

Are There Toxins in Pet Foods?

For the most part, pet foods are usually quite healthy for your pets. They are designed for the animal in question. They typically will contain all the nutrition that a pet needs in proper balance. They also provide feeding guidelines to make sure that people know how much they should be feeding their pets to keep ‘em healthy. There’s a few negative factors that should still be considered however. 

Many pet foods use lower grade of ingredients. They can be referred to as “feed-grade” ingredients. In some cases, feed grade ingredients are allowed to have small amounts of toxins. Some may produce mold, or come from dead animals or food waste. It’s important to note that these foods are typically cooked at incredibly high temperatures to make sure that bacteria is removed from the product. There’s also some chemicals and preservatives that can be slightly hazardous to pets. The best thing you can do is check the ingredient bags, or get suggestions from your vet. They can usually suggest some excellent high quality pet foods. 

Human Food to Avoid

Quite simply there are a lot of different and dangerous foods for your pets. The best way to make sure that you’re feeding your pet human treats with no risk to to speak to your vet. They will know the nutritional needs of your furry friend better than anyone. Some known toxins include: 

• Grapes - This also applies to raising as well. Dogs don’t react well to grapes and raisins. It’s not an obvious illness with vomiting, but grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage! 
• Chocolate - This is one of the most commonly known toxins for many pets. The darker the chocolate, the most dangerous it is to pets. The actual toxin comes from cacao seeds. Ingestion can lead to a range of symptoms up to potential death.
• Coffee - Both coffee and other caffeinated soft drinks also contain the same substances found in chocolate! They can be just as dangerous for dogs. 
• Salty Snacks - Many people may toss their pets some salty snacks like chips or pretzels. The problem is that these snacks can alter a pets needs for hydration and having to urinate. It can also lead to vomiting, diarrhea and tremors. In severe cases, internal temperature can rise and death is possible. 
• Nuts - In addition to the potential for pets to suffer from diarrhea or vomiting, the high amounts of fats in nuts can lead to pancreatitis in pets. 
• Alcohol - Alcoholic beverages can be very dangerous for pets. Essentially, if your pet ever does, it’s important to contact animal poison control to assess the situation. Pets that consume alcohol can face fatal consequences.