When you have a dog, one of your responsibilities as the owner is to keep your pet safe and well. That doesn’t just mean trips to the vet and exercise, it means being aware of the hazards that exist for dogs in your home, and ensuring they are removed, made safe or at least kept well out of your dog’s way. One of the most dangerous rooms in your house for your dog is the kitchen, as many foods you enjoy can be dangerous toxins when eaten by a dog. If you don’t want to spend more time than absolutely necessary dealing with dog diarrhea and vomiting, if not more serious consequences, you need to know what foods and ingredients are dangerous for your pet, so you can keep them safely sealed.
If you have lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit in your fruit bowl, make sure it’s well out of your dog’s reach!
If your dog makes a beeline for any kitchen spillage, it might be worth keeping them out of the kitchen altogether when you’re cooking, to reduce the risk they’ll have an opportunity to wolf down a dangerous ingredient.
Onions
All members of the allium family - not just onions but garlic and chives too - should be kept well away from your dogs. While some pet food and treats contain very small quantities of garlic or chives, if a dog eats more than a minute amount of the bulbs, leaves, flowers or any other part of plants from this family it can cause stomach upsets or even damage their red blood cells!Citrus Fruits
Be careful when you’re making your Christmas cakes this year - or pouring a gin and tonic - as the essential oils (limonene and linalool) in citrus plants can cause a range of health problems for your dog starting with diarrhoea and ending most seriously in central nervous system depression: the restriction of brain activity which can cause comas and death! If your dog eats a little bit from an orange you’ve been snacking on it will likely cause only an upset stomach, but high doses of citric acid can have serious consequences!If you have lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit in your fruit bowl, make sure it’s well out of your dog’s reach!
Chocolate
This is the one most people are familiar with: chocolate is poisonous to dogs. It contains a compound called theobromine which dogs’ bodies can’t process, so it acts like a neurotoxin to them. Small doses can cause seizures, while a larger dose can cause death. Make sure you keep your stores of chocolate well away from your dog, and if you suspect he’s ingested any, make an emergency visit to the vet right away!Salt
Just like in humans, salt is a necessary component of your dog’s diet, but also like humans it’s possible for them to have too much. As dogs have less body mass than an adult humans it’s easier for them to eat a dangerous dose of salt by accident. A little too much can cause thirst and excessive urination - potentially in the house. Larger quantities can cause seizures, fever, or even death.If your dog makes a beeline for any kitchen spillage, it might be worth keeping them out of the kitchen altogether when you’re cooking, to reduce the risk they’ll have an opportunity to wolf down a dangerous ingredient.
