Are you curious about which foods or plants are poisonous to your cats and dogs? Keep your pets safe from potentially hazardous situations by being aware of which foods, plants and household items are not safe for pets.
Common items poisonous to cats and dogs:
The most common signs of pet poisoning include:
Call us or the Pet Poison Helpline 0800 TOX PET (0800 869 738) for advice.
If your pet is having difficulty breathing, unconscious or having a seizure:
If your pet is awake and alert before you call us, quickly help by:
Be prepared, we need to know:
It is thought that tartaric acid and its salt, potassium bitartrate, are the toxic principles in grapes leading to acute vomiting and kidney failure in dogs.
All types of grapes (cooked, seedless, peeled, dried, or fresh) are toxic to dogs, including sultanas, raisins, and currants. The severity depends on the amount eaten and the size of the dog, so it is not worth the risk of allowing your dog to eat even one grape, or fruit bread and hot cross buns.
Yes, as much as we may love them, easter lily, tiger lily, oriental lily, and daylilies are highly toxic to cats, causing kidney failure. The common calla lilies and peace lilies can cause mouth and gastrointestinal issues.
All parts of the plant are toxic, even pollen. Cats can ingest the pollen by grooming it off their coat. The water in the vase that fresh cut lilies sit in can also be toxic to cats. The initial symptoms include a sudden onset of severe vomiting and then lethargy.
Whilst the karaka is a lovely evergreen native tree, the sweet-smelling berries are highly toxic for dogs, sheep, cows, and pigs. Dog owners should avoid planting karaka trees in the garden and don’t walk dogs near them. Symptoms include confusion, weakness, vomiting, hind leg paralysis and convulsions.
Call us immediately! Rat bait can block the blood-clotting mechanisms, resulting in fatal internal bleeding. Dogs and cats are affected the same way as the intended rat, but the effect can take 3-5 days after ingestion of the bait. Symptoms include lethargy and pale mucous membranes.
Yes, pet-safe slug and snail bait are readily available and usually marked clearly on the pack.
Slug and snail baits, which are not safe for pets, can cause brain damage and gut irritation. Symptoms occur soon after ingestion and include panting, excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle tremors.
No. As chalk is safe for kids, chalk is not toxic to dogs - unless your dog has eaten a lot of it. In this case, call us for advice.
Yes, dahlias, rubber plants and fig trees are, but maidenhair ferns and dogwood are not toxic to cats.
Yes, hosta flowers and clematis are, but dogwood and lambs ear plants are not toxic to dogs.
No, which is good as cats love to chase, play with and hunt dragonflies.
Just like children, cats and dogs are curious and do not know good from bad, so they rely on you to keep them safe and healthy.
Help prevent poisoning by:
Do not delay, call us today!
The above information is provided as an educational guide only and is not a substitute for advice from your pet’s healthcare professionals. If your pet’s symptoms continue, you are concerned about them, or want further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
