Your house may be your cozy home, but to a dog it can literally be a minefield of potential dangers, some fatal. Many foods we snack on regularly are potentially fatal to a dog or toxic to a dog’s digestion.
In addition, common items left around could choke your dog. Dogs, like small children, must be protected from these things.
Here is a list of 50 household items that could harm or even kill your dog, so you can make sure to keep them away from your beloved canine family member. Check out the infographic below for more information. Detailed text below.
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For your benefit, here’s the same information about 50 household items that could kill your dog in copy and paste form.
Foods
1. Chocolate: Chocolate is made of the cocoa plant, and cocoa contains Theobromine. Theobromine is extremely toxic to dogs. While chocolate is a sweet treat for human beings, it is a deadly, toxic poison to dogs that can cause severe digestive problems. If chocolate is ingested, it can be fatal.
2. Bread dough: Raw bread dough can be extremely toxic to your dog, as the active yeast and digestive juices produce ethonal, which can cause stomach pains, lethargy and a stupor-like state.
3. Coffee, tea and caffeine: Caffeine itself is toxic to dogs, and can harm the central nervous system and the heart. Like chocolate, it is toxic to dogs and can be fatal, so watch for any caffeinated drink or food.
4. Onions and garlic: Onions are more toxic to dogs than garlic, but they are in the same family and too much of either can sicken your dog. Onions specifically can cause anemia, lethargy, and digestive problems.
5. Grapes: All forms of grapes (including raisins) are dangerous and harmful to dogs. They are extremely toxic to dogs and can be fatal. Even small amounts over time have a serious residual effect and can kill your dog.
6. Nuts: Certain nuts (macadamias, walnuts) are extremely toxic to dogs, and can paralyze your beloved best friend, put him in a coma or kill him. To be safe, anything made with nuts or in a facility with nuts for that matter, should not be fed to dogs.
7. Salt: Dogs like most creatures need some salt, but if too much is ingested dogs can have seizures or even die. At a minimum they will experience debilitating electrolyte imbalances.
8. Gum or candy: A common ingredient in most gum and breath mints and some candy is Xylitol, which is poisonous to dogs and can cause irreversible liver damage.
9. Avocados: Persin causes diarrhea and vomiting, which is found in the leaves, fruit and husk. Also, the seed has been known to choke dogs if swallowed.
10. Seeds of fruit: You don’t have to worry about the actual fruit itself; many dogs like berries, apples and pears. The seeds, on the other hand, cannot be properly digested by dogs, who are natural meat eaters.
11. Bones: While the old wives tail says that chicken bones are dangerous to dogs, any cooked bones can be harmful to dogs. They can splinter, choke dogs, and cause serious damage to the digestive tract.
12. Alcohol: Alcohol has a more serious effect on a dog’s body than on a human’s (and it’s not exactly good for humans either). Aside from the same type of liver, kidney and stomach issues we may feel and the effects of alcohol poisoning, dogs can suffer from acidosis and acute heart failure.
13. Milk and dairy: Most adult dogs have problems digesting dairy products, especially in large quantities.
14. Mushrooms: Some mushrooms are not edible by humans, but many mushrooms contain toxins and spores that can be lethal to dogs. Avoid giving them mushrooms in general to stay safe.
15. Raw meat: This may sound surprising, as dogs are meat eaters. The problem is that domesticated dogs do not kill and eat raw meat regularly, so their digestive systems and microbiome have lost the ability to process raw meat easily. So, dogs can get salmonella poisoning or suffer from botulism more easily.
16. Rhubarb: The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic to dogs (due to the presence of oxate) and can cause digestive, urinary and nervous system problems.
Poisonous Chemicals
17. Shampoo: Shampoos often contain alcohol, glycerin, and other chemicals that can make dogs sick or negatively affect a dog’s digestion. Some shampoos have a delicious aroma that attracts dogs, so be careful.
18. Antifreeze: Antifreeze is one of the most dangerous things to a dog on the planet! The smell attracts dogs, so they will ingest it if given the opportunity. Once inside the body, its toxins can cause severe vomiting, kidney malfunction, seizures, and if enough is ingested – death.
19. Cleaning products: Most cleaning products can be lethal to dogs if ingested, as they are filled with harmful chemicals. Some cleaning supplies, like bleach and ammonia, can even harm dogs if they are near it, hurting their eyes, nasal cavities and skin.
20. Laundry Detergent: Unfortunately, the fragrances in detergent that make your clothes smell fresh can be attractive to dogs. This can be a serious problem as most detergents are toxic to dogs and if ingested, can cause vomiting, ulcers, and acute abdominal pains.
21. Fertilizers: Fertilizers contain chemicals, germicides, pesticides, and nitrogen among other dangers to dogs. Dogs may actually like the smell, but fertilizers are extremely toxic to dogs, and can damage the lining of the stomach among other digestive issues they may cause. Unfortunately, fertilizers are often abundant in lawns and gardens where dogs play and lick things.
22. Some medicines: Treat your dog just like you would a small child, and hide all of your medicine where there is no chance that they can get a hold of them. Some medicines are lethal, others only cause ulcers or liver damage. Even aspirin and Ibuprofen can be toxic to dogs.
23. Rodent poison & Pesticides: This is a pretty obvious one. When laying out poison, make sure that your dog cannot get anywhere near it.
24. Herbicides: Many herbicides, like pesticides, have poisons in their ingredients, and these are toxic for dogs as they are for vegetation and often bugs and pests.
Routine Items
25. Electric wires: Wires are designed to protect you from shock but dogs don’t know NOT to bite them, and so they can get shocked. This can be painful or even fatal. Sometimes electric shock causes muscles to clench up, preventing your beloved creature from letting go of the wire.
26. Batteries: Batteries present a number of dangers to dogs. The biggest is the acid that can leak or spill out of a battery, which can chew through skin, cause ulcers and eat away the digestive tract. Bigger batteries can explode when punctured (by excessive chewing for example). Small batteries have lithium that can cause problems for a dog’s stomach.
27. Baggies and snack bags: Dogs can get caught in and suffocate in baggies, even quite large dogs. Ingesting plastic is awful for a dog’s digestion as well as you can imagine.
28. De-icers: These chemical agents come in pellet and liquid form and are used on walkways, porches and steps. Unfortunately, they are toxic to dogs. Pellets often get eaten, and the liquid can be picked up by paws and licked off during cleaning. This can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
29. Perfume: Perfumes often contain 25% or more alcohol, plus various other chemicals used to make the fragrance. What is worse, their smell can be appetizing to dogs. Unfortunately they are toxic to dogs.
30. Pennies: The common penny is filled with zinc, and dogs are known to ingest them. Too much Zinc is fatal to dogs, and can cause anemia and digestive issues.
31. Rope, string or twine: Aside from the obvious fact that dogs can get ensnared in rope or choke themselves to death, dogs will eat string or twine. String can wreak havoc on a dog’s digestive system.
32. Some pots and pans: Any cooking utensil that is made of Teflon is dangerous to a small dog in particular. Teflon has poltetrafluoroethlyene, which, when burned emits a toxic smoke that can be harmful to small animals. (If you use Teflon properly, you do not have to worry about this.)
33. Fabric softening sheets: The fabric softening agents themselves contain germicides and are toxic to dogs, causing digestive issues. What is worse, dogs can choke to death on these small sheets.
34. Mouthwash: Read the labels on your mouthwash. Many types of mouthwash contain boric acid, which is toxic to dogs. Boric acid poisoning can cause seizures in dogs, put your dog in a coma or even kill the poor unsuspecting animal.
35. Mothballs: Most people don’t think of a mothball as a poison or a pesticide but they are. Mothballs are poisons meant to kill moths. Unfortunately the poison is extremely toxic to dogs, and to humans to. These can kill your pet if ingested.
36. Human toys: Toys, especially toys that are unsafe for small children, can be deadly to dogs, for the same reasons. As you’ve come to realize by now, the problem of dogs swallowing things they shouldn’t and chocking on them is very real.
37. Some dog toys: Yes, that is correct. You have to be careful when choosing dog toys and do some research. Certain dog toys can chip or break teeth or even choke dogs to death if they are cheaply made and break apart – so make sure the products that you use are of high quality and made by reputable companies.
38. Optical solutions (like lens cleaners): As with mouthwash, many lens cleaners and liquid solutions used to clean optical aids contain boric acid. Boric acid poisoning is a serious issue for dogs.
Plants
39. Spinach: Spinach in small quantities will not harm your dog. However, if your dog grows an affinity for spinach, the plant is rich with oxalates, which can cause kidney problems and other issues.
40. Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera can cause digestive problems in dogs. Aloe Vera contains anthracene glycosides, which is toxic to dogs if ingested.
41. Marijuana: Debating its merits for humans we leave to others, but it’s certain to affect a dog’s heart rate and often makes dogs vomit.
42. Tobacco: As with humans, tobacco is toxic. In dogs, tobacco poisoning can cause shock and even death. Their small bodies mean that the relative absorption of nicotine is much higher.
43. Nightshade: This wildflower is poisonous to many creatures. It is extremely toxic to dogs, especially the berries, though the entire nightshade plant can be harmful to your dog.
44. Daffodils: While these flowers are very pretty and are common in planters and gardens, they can make dogs extremely sick, affecting a dog’s digestion in a powerful, painful way.
45. Lilies: Dogs that ingest lilies often experience extreme stomach pain, fatigue and lethargy.
46. Holly: Like fruit seeds, the seed of the holly plant is toxic to dogs, and can cause a number of severe stomach and digestion problems.
47. Mistletoe: Yes, the good old Christmas kissing plant may be good for stealing a smooch, but if it falls on the ground and your dog eats it you will be taking a trip to the vet. Mistletoe is toxic and can harm a dog’s digestion.
48. Poinsettias: It seems that Christmas plants in general are not very good for the health of our canine friends. This plant can irritate a dog’s skin, affect a dog’s digestion and even cause nausea, diarrhea and vomiting in dogs.
49. Oleander: While this is a popular home and garden plant, it can be fatal for dogs, which are severely affected by the entire plant. Dogs that ingest oleander can actually suffer from heart attacks.
50. Ivy: Certain types of ivies can cause breathing problems for dogs. Some dogs are also allergic to certain types of ivy, like humans with poison ivy (which can be harmful to dogs as well).
