Battle Ground Veterinary Clinic, P.C.

Wellness Care

Harmful Substances

Below is a list of common items that are potentially harmful to pets. If a potentially harmful substance has been ingested by you pet, call our office immediately. If it is after hours and we are unable to be reached please contact one of the following:

Lafayette Animal Emergency Clinic – (765) 449-2001

Animal Poison Control Center - (888) 426-4435 ($55 Consultation Fee)

HomeAgain Microchip if your pet is registered for the yearly extra services

(automatic for the first year of membership) (888)-HOMEAGAIN

Items to Avoid	Reasons to Avoid
Alcoholic beverages	Can cause intoxication, coma, and death
Baby food	Can contain onion powder which can be toxic to dogs; can also result in nutritional deficiencies if fed in large amounts
Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources	Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system
Cat food (for dogs)	Generally too high protein and fats for dogs
Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine	Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems
Citrus oil extracts	Can cause vomiting
Fat trimmings	Can cause pancreatitis
Grapes and raisins	Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys
Holly	Causes an upset stomach and potentially fatal
Hops	Unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death
Human vitamin supplements containing iron	Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys
Large amounts of liver	Can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones
Macadamia nuts	Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscles
Marijuana	Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate
Milk and other dairy products	Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk; this can result in diarrhea (lactose-free milk products are available for pets)
Mistletoe	Causes an upset stomach and potential heart collapse
Moldy or spoiled food, garbage	Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs
Mushrooms	Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death
Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder)	Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia; cats are more susceptible than dogs; garlic is less toxic than onions
Persimmons	Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis
Pits from peaches and plums	Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract
Poinsettias	Has an irritating sap that can cause blistering in the mouth and stomach upset
Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems	Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems; this is more of a problem in livestock
Raw eggs	Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin); this can lead to skin and hair coat problems; raw eggs may also contain Salmonella
Raw fish	Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death; more common if raw fish is fed regularly
Salt	If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances
String	Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a “string foreign body”
Sugary foods	Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus
Table scraps (in large amounts)	Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced and can cause obesity
Tobacco	Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems; can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death
Yeast dough	Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines

*This list was partially taken from the AAHA MARKETLink “The Resource” magazine, Spring 2007 by Elizabeth Albaum