Chocolate, grapes, xylitol and more — know the everyday items that poison dogs, and what to do if it happens.
Chocolate (darker is worse), grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol and anything sweetened with xylitol — including chewing gum and some peanut butters — are all toxic to dogs. Xylitol can be life-threatening in tiny amounts.
Human medicines like ibuprofen and paracetamol, rat poison, antifreeze, slug pellets and some houseplants and bulbs are common causes of poisoning. Store them as carefully as you would with a toddler at home.
Call your vet or an emergency clinic immediately — do not wait for symptoms and do not make the dog vomit unless a professional tells you to. Note what, how much and when the dog ate; the packaging helps the vet enormously.
Correct answer: Xylitol
Xylitol — common in chewing gum and some peanut butters — causes dangerous blood-sugar crashes and liver damage in dogs.
Correct answer: Dark chocolate
The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine — dark and baking chocolate are the most toxic.
Correct answer: Call a vet immediately, even without symptoms
Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure and there is no safe dose — call right away; early treatment is decisive.
Correct answer: Ibuprofen and paracetamol
Common human painkillers cause ulcers, kidney and liver damage in dogs — never medicate without a vet.
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