Dangerous Foods for Pets

As I've switched my own diet to a plant-based diet, I've been thinking a lot about nutrition. My own Opal, Dixie and Nini are fortunate enough to have home-cooked meals prepared by Yours Truly. My recipes are wholesome and balanced, and loaded with dark, leafy greens, carotene-rich foods and other good stuff. Now, although there is a great deal of healthy 'people food' that is equally healthy for pets, there are certain foods that are toxic and often deadly.

Below are some of the foods that animal-lovers should know are toxic to animals.

There are many more, so rather than sneak your pet a healthy food or treats for people assuming that they must also be healthy for animals, think twice. You may want to visit the American Animal Hospital Association website for a more exhaustive list of dangerous foods:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Apple seeds
  • Apricot pits
  • Avocados?toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle and dairy goats
  • Cherry pits
  • Candy (particularly chocolate, which is toxic to dogs, cats and ferrets, and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol)
  • Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans)
  • Grapes
  • Hops (used in home beer brewing)
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Moldy foods
  • Mushroom plants
  • Mustard seeds
  • Onions and onion powder
  • Peach pits
  • Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
  • Raisins
  • Rhubarb leaves
  • Salt
  • Tea (caffeine)
  • Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
  • Walnuts
  • Yeast dough