Foods Not Safe for Pets
Common sense needs to prevail when feeding your pets, just like when you feed your family. It should be obvious that things like alcoholic beverages, drugs (legal or otherwise), and the excess fat you trim off your meat should not be fed to your pets. They are not mini-garbage disposals; just like people they have dietary requirements and foods that can cause them gastric and other problems. If you wouldn't feed it to your human baby - it probably is a bad idea for your furry baby too.
Though many authoritative sources list the same items, for some foods there is disagreement as to quantity and form (as in raw garlic vs powdered). This list has been compiled through several hours of research and was not compiled by a medical professional. I would use this list in deciding what to serve my own animals, but when in doubt be sure to ask your vetrinarian.
- Almonds and nuts in general
- Large quantities can lead to stomach upset. Limit salted nuts. Just like with babies, whole nuts can pose a choking hazard.
- Apples
- The fruit is safe, the leaves and roots are not.
- Avocados
- There are some worries that avocados contain a toxic principle known as Perin. There have not been any clinical tests on what consititutes a toxic dosage and it may be best to avoid avocado completely.
- Baby Food
- Several of the recipes contained on nocans.com do contain baby food; avoid giving both cats and dogs any baby food that contains onion powder.
- Canned Tuna in large amounts or as a replacement for canned cat food
- Does not provide cats enough nutrition.
- Caffeine
- Avoid chocolate, coffee, tea and all other caffeine containing products.
- Cherries
- The fruit is safe, the leaves and roots are not.
- Citrus oil extracts
- Can cause vomiting
- Dairy products
- Some adult animals may get diarrhea from dairy products. Try lactose-fee milk products. Cottage cheese and yogurt appear to be more stomach friendly.
- Dog Food to cats on a regular basis
- Does not provide cats enough nutrition and can lead to serious illnesses. Occasional forays into a canine roommate's bowl should not cause problems.
- Garlic
- Many commercial pet foods contain garlic and professional opinions vary on what levels are acceptable though they generally agree raw garlic is a definate no-no.
- Grapes and raisins
- Can cause kidney damage.
- Hops
- Can cause all sorts of medical problems for dogs. As hops is a main ingredient in most beers, dogs should not be permitted to indulge.
- Your Vitamins with Iron
- Can cause serious digestive problems and prove toxic.
- Large amounts of liver
- Can cause vitamin A toxicity - feed no more than 5g of quality beef liver daily to cats.
- Macadamia Nuts
- Contain a toxin that affects the digestive and nervous systems.
- Mushrooms
- Some are toxic and some are edible - just like with humans. I haven't found a list that identifies which human-edible mushrooms are OK for pets.
- Onions
- Can cause anemia. Should be avoided.
- Peaches and Plums
- The pits can cause obstruction of the digestive system.
- Pepper
- Can irritate the skin, eyes, nose and gastrointestinal tract - not recommended for either cats or dogs.
- Persimmons
- The seeds can obstruct the intestinal tract.
- Popcorn
- Won't make them sick, but is a significant choking hazard.
- Potatos
- Can cause intestinal and neurological problems. Authority sites have given different opinions on potatos, it seems that some potato in a dog's diet would be OK; but avoid all of the green parts of the plant.
- Raw Eggs
- Salmonella
- Raw Fish
- If fed regularly, can cause vitamin deficicency that can lead to death. There are many supporters of a "raw food" diet who support feeding pets raw fish. Personally, because raw fish is so perishable - I wouldn't give it to my pets.
- Salt
- Not good for us either
- Spices
- Italian and curly parsley and coriander are considered to be non-toxic and edible, but may cause stomach irritation. Mace, paprika and turmeric should be avoided completely.
- Spinach
- Can cause crystal formation in the urinary tract and should be avoided completely in cats with urinary problems.
- Tomatos
- Ripe tomatos are not toxic, however the green parts of the tomato plant are considered toxic.
A note about taurine; taurine is essential for cats and is only found in animal tissues. It is therefore not advised to feed your cat a strict vegetarian diet. Cats by their nature are carnivores - they have been designed to eat meat and need a diet that contains both organ and muscle meats.
Sources - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, ASPCA website, and several other verternarian run websites.