are-grapes-bad-for-dogs[/caption]Human Foods That Are Dangerous for Dogs and Cats
- Some human foods can cause serious illness (and even death) in dogs and cats.
- Pets should not be given human food unless recommended by your veterinarian.
- If you suspect your pet may have eaten a dangerous food, contact your veterinarian immediately.
What Do I Need to Know About Foods that Are Dangerous for My Pet?
A number of human foods are dangerous to pets. Many of these foods may seem tasty to our pets but can prove deadly if eaten. It can be very tempting to offer pets food from the table, but pets should not be given human food unless recommended by your veterinarian.
If you suspect your pet may have eaten a dangerous food, contact your veterinarian immediately. In many cases, early recognition and treatment are critical.
Xylitol
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in products such as gum, candy, mints, toothpaste, and mouthwash. Xylitol is harmful to dogs because it causes a sudden release of insulin in the body that leads to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Xylitol can also cause liver damage in dogs. Within 30 minutes after eating, the dog may vomit, be lethargic (tired), and/or be uncoordinated. However, some signs of toxicity can also be delayed for hours or even for a few days. Xylitol toxicity in dogs can be fatal if untreated. It is unknown whether xylitol is toxic to cats.
Chocolate, Coffee, and Caffeine
Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that is toxic to dogs in large enough quantities. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, and certain soft drinks. Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine and caffeine. For example, dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain more of these compounds than milk chocolate does, so a dog would need to eat more milk chocolate in order to become ill. However, even a few ounces of chocolate can be enough to cause illness in a small dog, so no amount or type of chocolate should be considered “safe” for a dog to eat. Chocolate toxicity can cause vomiting, diarrhea, rapid or irregular heart rate, restlessness, muscle tremors, and seizures. Death can occur within 24 hours of ingestion.
Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins can cause acute (sudden) kidney failure in cats and dogs. It is unknown what the toxic agent is in these fruits. However, clinical signs can occur within 24 hours of eating and include vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy (tiredness). Other signs of illness relate to the eventual shutdown of kidney functioning.
Avocados
The avocado tree leaves, pits, fruit, and plant bark are likely all toxic. Clinical signs in dogs and cats include vomiting and diarrhea.
Garlic and Onions
Garlic and onions contain chemicals that damage red blood cells in cats and dogs. Affected red blood cells can rupture or lose their ability to carry oxygen effectively. Cooking these foods does not reduce their potential toxicity. Fresh, cooked, and/or powdered garlic and/or onions are commonly found in baby food, which is sometimes given to animals when they are sick, so be sure to read food labels carefully.
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts are common in candies and chocolates. The mechanism of macadamia nut toxicity is not well understood, but clinical signs in dogs include depression, weakness, vomiting, tremors, joint pain, and pale gums. Clinical signs can occur within 12 hours after eating. In some cases, signs can resolve without treatment in 24 to 48 hours, but patient monitoring is strongly recommended.
Prevention
Many cases of human food toxicity in pets are accidental. A pet may find and chew on a package of gum or candy, or steal food from a countertop or table. The best way to prevent this is to keep all food items in closed cabinets or in areas that are inaccessible to pets. This may be particularly difficult during the holiday season, when more candy, chocolate, fruit baskets, and other food items are around. During these times, increased vigilance can help prevent pets from finding and eating dangerous foods.
Unfortunately, some cases of food toxicity in pets occur when pets are given a human food that contains a dangerous component. In general, human food items should not be given to pets unless recommended by your veterinarian. Children should also be taught to never give candy, gum, or other human food items to pets. For more information on human foods that are dangerous for pets, visit the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Animal Poison Control Center. If you suspect that your pet has eaten a potentially hazardous item, contact your veterinarian immediately.
GRAPES poison dogs MYTH!
Snopes and ASPCA Poison Control say grapes are deadly to dogs but our breeder survey unequivocally refutes that.
Animal poison control lists raisin-grape poisoning symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, depression, lethargy, anorexia, colic, dehydration and renal failure (death) if untreated. Absolutely seek veterinary help if your pet shows more than two of those symptoms.
TheDogPlace.org was chastised for including grapes on a list of fruits and veggies dogs appreciate. Indignant emails referred us to the "deadly grapes" warning on Snopes which refers people to the Poison Control Center.
We would have left it at that but there is more you need to know about the toxicity reports associated with grapes and raisins. First the facts behind a carefully crafted “urban legend” and then a little background on the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center.
No Grape or Raisin Toxicity Study
It was then brought to our attention that there is no profit in prevention and no prescription or antidote to raisin-grape poisoning. Well, that explains that! It doesn’t explain how the urban legend began or why it hasn’t been debunked until now. First though, a quick but clarifying background story.
Snopes is the brainchild of a couple who saw the need for debunking Urban Legends just as we see the need to enlighten pet owners. So we checked Snopes as the oft-cited source for the "deadly grapes" stories but found only a veterinarian's personal assessment, a brief dissertation written by someone with no veterinary credentials, and interestingly, numerous references back to APCC (Animal Poison Control Center) which is apparently owned by the ASPCA.
(Editor's note: We had checked the Snopes website today, after this was released to the dog-owning public. The original Snopes article we referenced, downloaded and printed out in June 2009 had been substantially re-worded.)
We are also aware that a careless owner, realizing they failed to prevent the pet’s access to prescription medication, pest control or other toxic substances, would grasp any possible scenario rather than face self-recrimination.
Onions As Poisonous As Grapes?
Someone named Barbara "killing them with kindness" Mickelson, writing for Snopes, says "chocolate and cocoa can (also) prove deadly to them (dogs) as can onions and macadamia nuts." Onions? Every breeder I know adds onions to dog stew just as I've done for over fifty years. Maybe cooking makes onions safe? On the other hand, I can't imagine a dog eating a raw onion so I reject Ms. Mickelson's assertion. I've never shared macadamia nuts with my dogs but they love peanuts, pecans and my Waldorf salad containing walnuts.
In any case, assuming that raisins would be more toxic than grapes due to the sulphur dioxide and other chemicals used in the curing process, we might believe the veterinarian is correct in stating a dog that actually “ate half a canister of raisins” (or prunes, figs, dates, beef jerky, etc) could be poisoned.
On that basis, we surveyed dog breeders, veterinarians, and professional handlers across the nation. We asked if they, or anyone they knew, had experienced a case of raisin or grape toxicity. We expected at least one confirming reply. After all, millions of dog owners use grapes as treats and according to the “GRAPE ALERTS” now circulating the internet, ingesting even one grape can cause renal failure and death!
Raisin or Grape Poisoning Survey Results
The results were absolutely conclusive. 130 people responded but 0, not one person, has ever had or known of a dog that did more than wag and beg for more grapes!
No disrespect to the ASPCA poison control database but the NetPlaces Network research is based on hundreds of years of professional dog owner experience. Additionally, this article will be read by a half million people over the next three months. We request anyone who has raisin-grape study information or first-hand experience click to report confirmed raisin or grape poisoning and we will add that to a follow-up report.
Contrasted to dogs that have died from ii Anti-freeze Poisoning, we must conclude that the ASPCA poison control database is incorrect and misleading. So why would poison control perpetuate an "urban legend", especially one that seems to have been deliberately created in order to profit a private enterprise?
Conflict Of Interest: Snopes and ASPCA Poison Control?
The ASPCA owns the Animal Poison Control Center. In 1996 the ASPCA acquired the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) call center. The APCC is an income-producing business. We do not imply that Snopes, APCC or ASPCA would generate a story for any form of quid pro quo, only that it is a serious lapse in disclosure.
It should also be noted that, in addition to the Animal Poison Control Center, which charges callers a $60 fee , ASPCA has another enterprise; ASPCA’s Animal Product Safety Service (APSS) for pet product makers.
Equally interesting, TheDogPress.com stated "Dog food and other pet foods continue to make pets sick, yet ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center concludes pet food recalls are “likely not food-related.” That perked up dog owner's ears and the news spread across the internet.
The "killer grapes" Urban Legend is like a mountain covering a molehill. The absence of medical evidence on raisin or grape toxicity and the inability to define what the toxic substance in grapes actually is causes owners to be distrustful of real warnings. That is a terrible disservice.
Even more disturbing, we could find no reference in any Snopes or Poison Control “toxic grape and raisin” report regarding the likelihood of ii Pesticide Poisoning. On the contrary, the APCC site displays a puzzling letter from a veterinary toxicologist which states in part, “Why did the fruit cause the dogs to become ill? No one knows. Suspect grapes and raisins have been screened for various pesticides, heavy metals (such as zinc or lead), and mycotoxins (fungal contaminants) and so far, all results have come back negative.”
Pesticide Problem Not Mentioned in Grape Toxicity Report!
When an APCC veterinarian states that grapes caused the dog to become ill even though "no one knows" why, it demands an answer - from Animal Poison Control! Even more worrisome, the ASPCA Poison Control directly contradicts the flood of warnings from NIH (National Institute of Health), the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and medical universities which stress washing all fruits and vegetables due to "high pesticide contamination."
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit research and advocacy group, issued a report in which the pesticide toxicity of fruits and vegetables was ranked according to FDA data. Imported grapes were the 10th most toxic fruit with domestic grapes ranking 21st on the list of 43,000 samples! Therefore, when the ASPCA - APCC(4) states that no traces of pesticides could be found on grapes, it destroys Animal Poison Control Center credibility. In fact, it is reminiscent of the ii 20/20 Report in which John Stossel asserted that neither organic nor conventional produce samples contained any pesticide residue. Someone had given him a prepared script and our friend Stossel had to apologize.
| A reasonable person would assume that dogs suffering from classic symptoms of chemical poisoning were poisoned by the chemicals sprayed on the grapes rather than the fruit itself. Pet owners who check with Animal Poison Control might well be given information that could jeopardize diagnosis and thus, the dog's life. |
A veterinarian working under duress with a dog in critical condition needs instant recall or computerized facts, not misleading information. The emergency treatment for grape poisoning might be the same as for any form of chemical poisoning BUT misdiagnosis explains why dogs can be reported as having died from grape or raisin poisoning when it fact, the veterinarian made an incorrect assumption. Misdiagnosis usually leads to improper treatment.
In human medicine, failure to retract what appears to be profit-driven misinformation would shout “cover-up” and call for an investigation. Why has that demand not come from veterinarians? Only TheDogPlace.org dares speak out for the dogs?
