Household Items That Can Kill Your Dog

Has your dog ever chewed up something in your house? Dogs are very oral animals. They chew on things to investigate the world around them. Anytime something new comes into their environment, they are likely to chew on it. Unfortunately, our houses contain lots of things that will kill your dog. A dog who is active and busy may come across one of these things and eat it, or at least chew on it. This can have severe consequences for your dog. Here are some of the many toxins your dog can find so you can put them up before your dog chews on them.

Poisonous Foods

Chocolate is hands down one of the most toxic foods for dogs. It contains theobromine and that causes heart arrhythmias, and can even kill a dog who eats a surprisingly low amount of the substance. Toxicity varies by kind of chocolate and dose, but cocoa powder and baking chocolate are the most toxic, followed by milk and white chocolate.

Xylitol is a sugar free sweetener that appears in surprisingly diverse places. It is in gum, toothpaste, and some peanut butter. When consumed by a dog, it causes hypoglycemia, liver failure, and death. Many people carry sugar free gum in their purse or pocket. Make sure that your dog can not get to it when you set the purse down. Otherwise the dog may steal the gum and eat it. Check product labels when buying products and make sure things with xylitol are put up out of your dog’s reach.

Grapes or raisins can cause renal failure in very low doses. In fact, one grape can cause the kidneys to shut down. Raisins and currants have the same level of toxicity. The toxic substance in these foods is not known, but something in them can kill your dog. Never give them to your dog.

Garlic, onion, leeks, and shallots cause dogs problems whether they are fresh, dried, or cooked. Whatever the substance is inside these foods can damage the red blood cells in the body and make the dog severely anemic. They can even kill a dog.

Poisonous Plants

Poinsettias are commonly believed to be very toxic to dogs. However, while the sap will cause diarrhea, drooling, and skin irritation, it is not as toxic as most people think it is.

However, other common plants such as Elephant’s Ear, Philodendron and Chinese Evergreen, are poisonous to pets if ingested. Indoor plants should be placed where the dog cannot reach them. Putting these plants in the yard where dogs can reach them is risky, too.

American Holly contains saponins, which are poisonous to dogs. However, they have a low toxicity so the dog would have to eat a lot of them to get sick. They may also have stomach irritation from the spiny leaves.

Household Items

Detergent and fabric softener can irritate and corrode tissue around the dog’s mouth and stomach. Clean up any spills immediately and throw away used dryer sheets so the dog can’t eat them.

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which is fatal to dogs even in small doses. Make sure that there are no leaks in your car’s radiator and clean up spills immediately. Keep containers of antifreeze out of the dog’s reach.

Batteries, the small kind that go in toys and remotes, can cause severe corrosive burns and damage to the dog’s mouth and esophagus. Do not induce vomiting because batteries can do just as much damage coming up and going down. Get the dog to the veterinarian immediately.

These are just some of the things that are in your house and yard and are poisonous to your dog. Make a habit of keeping food and drinks out of reach of your dog. Do not feed him people food or beverages, especially not alcohol. Keep your personal possessions as well as your household chemicals where the dog cannot reach them. If your dog does eat something toxic, take him immediately to a veterinarian for treatment.