Chocolate
Chocolate is a big no for your dogs, cats and rabbits, it’s the most popular food animals can’t eat, it can be very harmful and dangerous and depending on the amount, can result in death for your animals. Dogs, cats and rabbits should never be given chocolate under any circumstance, the cocoa solids its made from contains Theobromine which is harmless for humans but toxic to those pets as they can’t break it down. The amount of chocolate, the size of your animal and what type of chocolate depends on the severity of the situation when it is consumed, it is best to call a vet or doctor if a considerable amount has been eaten by your pet. White chocolate is the least dangerous to dogs, whereas dark chocolate is the most, as the more cocoa it contains, the bigger risk and straight cocoa is lethal.
Symptoms:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Drinking and urinating more often
- Abnormal behaviours
- Stomach pain
Side effects:
- Fast breathing or panting
- Shaking, trembling and tremors
- High temperatures
- High blood pressure
- Fast Heart rate
- Seizures
- Heart failure
- Coma
- Death
Here’s another list of things your pet’s can eat, that you would be surprised to hear
- Avocados – They are safe for your cats if mixed into a meal, but for dogs they are dangerous and every part of an avocado is dangerous as the seed is a choke hazard a long with it is high in fat and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and myocardial damage.
- Coffee and Tea – Any form of caffeine is bad for you dogs and cats and can give them ‘hyperthermia, abnormal heart rhythms and even seizures, but that would be if they digest considerate amounts of coffee grounds.
- Dried fruit – Raisins are the worst, along with grapes and even a single grape or raisin can be fatal, but dried fruits generally is a no for dogs and cats, although it doesn’t have huge side effects, it is generally not good for them and you’re better off giving fresh fruit alternatives.
- Onion, garlic and chives – are not healthy for your pets as they are all members of the Allium genus which includes leeks or shallots that are toxic to your pets.
The list does go on but we highly recommend, no matter if it’s Christmas or a birthday, that you keep your animals on their diet and that they stick to their own food as it is the safest option. We also recommend that before you throw some leftovers to your pet, just quickly search up if it’s good for them or not.
Cats cant eat
- Xylitol
- Yest Dough
- Tomatoes
- Green potatoes
- Nuts
- Milk
- Alcohol
- Plums
- Fat trimmings
- Raw eggs & Meat
- Cheese
Dogs
- Alcohol
- Fat trimmings
- Gum
- Macadamia nuts
- Milk
- Mushrooms
- Pits and fruit seeds
- Potatoes
- Rhubarb
- Salty foods
- Walnuts
- Yeast and Dough
- Xylitol
To recap, a lot of the foods you eat daily cant be consumed by your animals so before you brush your leftovers into their bowl, please do some research to ensure your animals safety. This also means once you get a dog you cant be leaving food lying around as a lot of the dogs can easily climbs onto dinner tables and reach the counter if they wanted to, so be aware.
