Are you aware that many
common household and garden plants
can be deadly to your dog?

Click here to view the Gallery of Toxic Plants

Common Household Items Toxic to Dogs

Are you looking to adapt your home, ready to take in a new, purebred dog? Maybe you have bought one or adopted one, but want further advice on how to make your house a safe and fun environment for dogs. One thing that many new owners forget is the cleaning products we use around the home.

We all know what health risks toxins such as mesothelioma-causing asbestos can have on our children and ourselves, but let’s not forget that dogs operate at a lower level. Not only are they closer to the ground, but they spend a lot of time sniffing around it and interacting with it on a level beyond just walking. This means they are in a prime position to sniff up any toxins and harmful substances.

It is essential, therefore, to carefully consider what substances exist in and around the house, how to protect your dog from them, and what better cleaning solutions there are out there. PennJersey, a Pennsylvania-based cleaning company have produced a guide to teach dog owners the risks of household toxins. It covers common toxins, the problems of cleaning products and waste, and offers sensible solutions for making a more dog-friendly environment.

Aspartame found in sugarless gum has been linked to at least one dog death recently.

Liquid Laundry Detergent gave one dog severe burns requiring sedation and treatment over several days. The dog chewed his way into the detergent which then spilled into his crate. He was found bleeding after being in the detergent for several hours.

Cacao Bean Mulch, sold by many home improvement centres, contains a lethal ingredient called “Theobromine”. It smells like chocolate and is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate — especially dark or baker’s chocolate — which is toxic to dogs also. A dog that ingested a quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Chocolate as mentioned above, the toxic ingredient in chocolate is Theobromine. The dark or semi sweet baker’s chocolate is particularly dangerous for your dog. Keep all sweets and chocolate out of reach!

Raisins/Grapes are severely toxic. As few as 7 can cause vomiting, acute kidney failure, and death. Please don’t feed these to your dog as a treat.

Raw Fish Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen in dogs that eat certain types of raw fish. Salmon and other fish that swim upstream to breed can be infected with a relatively harmless parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. However, the parasite itself can be infected with an organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. It’s this microorganism that causes salmon poisoning. If untreated, death usually occurs within fourteen days of eating the infected fish. Ninety percent of dogs showing symptoms die if they are not treated.

“Salmon poisoning occurs most commonly west of the Cascade mountain range,” says Dr. Bill Foreyt, a veterinary parasitologist at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He adds, “Canids (dogs) are the only species susceptible to salmon poisoning. That’s why cats, raccoons and bears eat raw fish regularly with out consequence.” Symptoms of salmon poisoning occur within 6 days and include vomiting, lack of appetite, fever, diarrhea, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and dehydration.

Greenies A warning from one of our web visitors…..

On the way back from the Dobe National this year, I was walking one of the dogs at the airport waiting for the owner to return our rental car when the dog decided to throw up…..I was shocked to see a mass of green rubber-like material and immediately called the owner. The mass looked like something you would see in the pad under a carpet. I was assured the dog did not shred anything…and that the only thing the dog had been given to eat recently was a “Greenie”…one of those formed green dog treats that look like a toothbrush…..I couldn’t believe one of those pressed dog treats would reconstitute into what looked like a mass of foam rubber pieces!

Well, after getting home my friend did an experiment….cut up one of those things and soaked it in water overnight….low and behold a mass of foam rubber junk! Certainly NOT digestible! We both made a note to never feed those things again…and then last night in the Seattle area the local KIROTV newscast did a piece on…you guessed it GREENIES! A whole story about how dogs are DYING from blockages after eating those stupid things! Turns out they are NOT 100% digestible!

Sugar free gum‘s active ingredient, xylitol, causes dogs to secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very quickly. This is quickly followed by liver failure. If that occurs, even with aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save the dog. http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp

Gallery of Toxic Plants

Ivy (English)
Hedera helix

Japanese Yew
Taxus sp

Sago Palm
Cycas cirinalis

Tulip
Tulip sp

Lily of the Valley Shrub see: Andromeda Japonica
Mexican Breadfruit see: Philodendron (Split Leaf)
Narcissus see: Daffodil
Panda see: Philodendron (Fiddle-Leaf)
Peace Lily see: Mauna Loa Peace Lily
Philodendron (Horsehead) see: Philodendron (Fiddle-Leaf)
Philodendron (Variegated) see: Devil’s Ivy
Queensland Nut see: Macadamia Nut
Swiss Cheese Plant see: Philodendron (Split Leaf)
Taro Vine see: Devil’s Ivy
Yew see: Japanese Yew