What they’re in: Uncooked grapes, raisins, and currants are likely more toxic than cooked fruit. Don’t forget about raisins in cereals, trail mixes, baked goods, and snack boxes.
Threat to pets: These fruits can cause acute kidney failure in dogs and may cause kidney failure in cats and ferrets as well. While not all dogs and cats will develop kidney failure, it’s impossible to know which pets will be sensitive to these fruits. Therefore, all pets—especially dogs—that ingest grapes, raisins, or currants should be monitored closely and treated appropriately. If a small dog or cat eats just a small number of grapes or raisins, this is considered an emergency.
Signs: Vomiting within a few hours of ingestion is typical. Within one to four days of ingestion, pets may experience increased urination, increased thirst, lethargy, and a reduced appetite.
Treatment: Induce vomiting and then administer activated charcoal to decontaminate (adsorb and remove toxins). Follow up by administering anti-vomiting medication and aggressive intravenous fluids to protect the kidneys. Frequent monitoring of kidney laboratory values and in-hospital care are also recommended.
Caffeine
What it's in: Caffeine is most commonly found in coffee, coffee grounds, tea, tea bags, soda, energy drinks, and diet pills. Theobromine—a cousin chemical to caffeine—is also found in chocolate (see chocolate).
Threat to pets: Pets are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people. While a couple laps of coffee, tea, or soda won’t poison most pets, the ingestion of moderate amounts of coffee grounds, tea bags, or one to two diet pills can easily be fatal in small animals.
Signs: Within two hours of exposure, pets may experience mild to severe hyperactivity, restlessness, vomiting, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), hypertension (elevated blood pressure), abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), seizures, and could collapse.
Treatment: Induce vomiting and then administer multiple doses of activated charcoal to decontaminate (adsorb and remove toxins). Administer aggressive intravenous fluids to help with excretion, sedatives to calm the pet, specific heart medications to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, anti-convulsants for seizures, and antacids for stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Because caffeine may be reabsorbed across the bladder wall, a urinary catheter or frequent walks are needed to keep the bladder empty.
Prognosis: Excellent in pets with mild signs, such as slight restlessness or a minimally elevated heart rate. Poor in those with severe signs, such as collapsing and seizures.
Chocolate
What it's in: When it comes to chocolate, dark equals dangerous. That’s because the darker the chocolate, the larger the amount of theobromine—a cousin chemical to caffeine—it contains. Thus, baker’s chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and gourmet dark chocolates are more toxic than milk chocolate. White chocolate has very little theobromine and will not cause poisoning in pets.
Threat to pets: The dose ingested determines the danger. Pets that ingest a few M&Ms or a bite of a chocolate chip cookie are unlikely to develop chocolate poisoning.
For milk chocolate, any ingestion of more than 0.5 ounces per pound of body weight may put dogs and cats at risk. Ingestions of more than 0.13 ounces per pound of body weight of dark or semi-sweet chocolate may cause poisoning. Almost all ingestions of baker’s chocolate can result in poisoning and are considered emergencies.
Very young pets, geriatric pets, and animals with underlying disease are at a higher risk for poisoning than healthy, adult dogs and cats. Due to the large amount of fat in chocolate, some pets may develop pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) after eating chocolate or baked goods containing chocolate (see fatty foods).
Signs: Small amounts of chocolate may cause mild vomiting and diarrhea. Larger amounts can cause severe agitation, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and collapse.
Treatment: Induce vomiting and then administer multiple doses of activated charcoal to decontaminate (adsorb and remove toxins). Administer aggressive intravenous fluids to help with excretion, sedatives to calm the pet, specific heart medications to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, anti- convulsants for seizures, and antacids for stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Theobromine may be reabsorbed across the bladder wall so a urinary catheter or frequent walks are needed to keep the bladder empty.
Prognosis: Excellent in pets with mild signs, such as mild stomach upset or slight restlessness. Poor in those with severe signs, such as collapsing and seizures.
Xylitol
What it's in: Xylitol is a common sugar-substitute used in sugar-free chewing gum, breath mints, candies, and baked goods. It’s also found in some smoking-cessation products like nicotine gum. Xylitol can be purchased in bulk for cooking at home, and because of its dental plaque fighting properties, nontoxic amounts can be found in some pet oral-care products.
Threat to pets: Xylitol may cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and can cause liver damage to dogs. Cats and people do not experience this problem. The typical dose needed to cause poisoning is at least 0.05 grams per pound of body weight.
The average piece of chewing gum or breath mint contains between 0.22 to 1.0 gram of xylitol. Thus, a 10-pound dog would only have to eat one piece of gum to achieve a potentially toxic dose.
The amount of xylitol typically found in most pet oral-care products is very small and, when used properly, these products aren’t expected to cause poisoning unless a dog ingests a very large amount.
Signs: Within 10 to 15 minutes of ingestion, dogs may develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), lose coordination, and start vomiting. Collapse and seizures may quickly follow. In rare cases, these signs won’t appear until hours after ingestion.
Treatment: Promptly induce vomiting or perform a gastric lavage. Administer intravenous dextrose (sugar) and fluids and frequently monitor blood sugar levels and liver values.
Prognosis: Excellent when the ingestion is caught early and blood sugars are monitored frequently. Guarded if the pet has already begun to develop liver failure.
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