Some food that we eat and may consider to be safe, may not always be safe for our pets. See here for part 1 if this series. Some more household items that can be toxic to animals are expanded on below:
Onions and garlic can cause damage to your pet’s red blood cells. This can lead to low red blood cell count (anemia). The risk applies to not just the garlic or onions themselves but to any food containing these ingredients, since many human foods eg burgers/ meatballs/ breads and curries may contain these foods, it can be easy to accidently feed these to your pets without realizing, so please be cautious and where possible avoid feeding human food to your dogs/ cats.
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener commonly found as a sugar replacement in foods such as low sugar/ “healthy treats” eg protein bars, peanut butters and bubble gum. It can affect our pets in two main ways; firstly, it can affect their liver and cause liver damage or even failure. Secondly it can cause insulin to spike which in turn decreases your pet’s blood sugar levels- if these become dangerously low your pet may become weak, lack co-ordination or even have seizures.
Please note that this list is not extensive, if you believe your pet has eaten one of the above foods or you need advice on any possible food or toxin your pet may have ingested; please do not hesitate to call our emergency line on 6931 0095 available 24 hours 365 days a year.
Call as soon as you note the toxin ingestion as the sooner you act and bring them to a hospital, the better the outcome for your pet.
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