11/12/2025
As we approach the festive season, it may be tempting to share your food or drink with your four-legged companions. โ ๏ธ Please resist! โ ๏ธ Various food and drinks that you consider tasty may be unsafe for your pets.
Some of the more dangerous edible items include:
โ Alcoholic beverages and food products ๐บ
โ Apple seeds ๐
โ Caffeine (found in drinks such as coffee, tea and energy drinks) โ
โ Chocolate ๐ซ
โ Fruit pits (from apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums)
โ Garlic, onions and chives ๐ง๐ง
โ Grapes and raisins ๐
โ Mouldy foods
โ Mushroom plants ๐
โ Mustard seeds
โ Nuts (eg. almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts and walnuts) ๐ฅ
โ Potato leaves and stems (green parts) ๐ฅ
โ Rhubarb leaves ๐
โ Salt (also found in household play dough) ๐ง
โ To***co products (including e-cigarettes and their refills) ๐ญ
โ Tomato leaves and stems ๐
โ Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
โ Yeast dough (eg. raw bread dough)
Although not necessarily toxic, certain food items can cause gastrointestinal obstruction (a blockage in the digestive tract) if your pet swallows them. For example, gum, avocado pits, corn cobs, and bones can get stuck in your petโs oesophagus, stomach, or intestines. Bones can also splinter and cause internal lacerations ๐ฑ
Some common people foods can also trigger diarrhoea and stomach upset, or inflammation of the pancreas. Raw meat products may contain harmful bacteria and parasites (eg. salmonella, E. coli and anisakiasis). These items include:
โ Citrus
โ Raw eggs, fish and meat
โ Milk and dairy products
โ Fatty foods (eg. burgers, pizza, chicken wings, ribs)
If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially hazardous food item, observe their behaviour for 24 hours for any of the following signs or symptoms. Avoid administering any home remedies such as hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, unless advised to do so by your vet. It is also important to note that different foods may present different symptoms:
- Drooling/vomiting
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Twitching/tremors
- Collapse
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach bloat
- Seizures
- Restlessness
- Excessive panting/urination
