Delicious But Dangerous: Foods to Avoid Feeding a Pet

Whether you enjoy cooking an entire gourmet meal for your precious pet, making a few homemade pet treats for your petsitting charge or slipping Fido a few table scraps when no one's looking, you need to be sure that whatever's going from your kitchen to his tummy isn't as dangerous as it is delicious.

Print this list as a reminder of what not to share with your furry friends.

DOGS

Onions and garlic. Whether they're raw, cooked or in the form of powder, onions and garlic are very dangerous for pets - especially cats. These items contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Onions are more toxic than garlic, causing hemolytic anemia where the pet's red blood cells will burst while circulating. The first signs of ingestion will be vomiting and diarrhea, followed by a lack of interest in food and increased weakness, and then red pigment in the pet's urine.

Baby food. Several homemade pet recipes call for it, but you need to be careful which baby food you use when you're spoiling the dog with your mad cooking skills. Baby food can contain onion powder and can also result in nutritional deficiencies if he has too much. You'll want to be on the lookout for the same symptoms above.

Coffee, coffee grounds, tea and other caffeine. Caffeine for dogs is never a good idea, no matter how badly it seems that he needs a pick-me-up. Caffeine will cause his heart rate to increase, and off-the-wall energy could be the least of your problems. Since caffeine can affect your dog's heart and nervous systems, ingestion can result in seizures, tremors, arrhythmias, vomiting, diarrhea or difficulty breathing.

Chocolate. While it's not as common for people to offer coffee to a pet, chocolate is a totally different story. It doesn't matter if it's Fido's fifth consecutive day of not peeing on the new carpet - no celebrations should include chocolate pet treats or anything of the sort. Chocolate contains theobromine, a cardiac stimulant and (gulp) diuretic. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms, containing ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Next most dangerous comes semi-sweet and dark chocolates, with milk chocolate rounding out the group.

Bones. After you're finished with that chicken wing, don't toss the bone to your dog, no matter how much he begs. Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources can cause obstructions or lacerations of the digestive system.

Cat food. No, you won't be doing yourself any favors by only buying one type of pet food for your different pets. Dogs don't do well with cat food because it's generally too high in protein and fats, so stick with the species-specific foods and don't get crazy with the possibility of mixing things up.

Grapes and raisins. Sure, they're small enough, and they seem harmless, but grapes and raisins are extremely dangerous. They contain an unknown toxin that can damage the kidneys, leading to kidney failure and death. Within a few hours of eating grapes or raisins, the dog will begin vomiting (check for partially digested raisins or grapes) and will probably become jittery. After 24 hours, he'll become lethargic or depressed, may experience abdominal pain, and may stop eating, urinating and drinking. Call the vet the second you suspect grapes or raisins are the culprit! More.

Macadamia nuts. These nuts contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle. If you notice Fido becoming weak (has problems standing on his rear legs), depressed, vomiting or having tremors, this could be a sign that he got into some macadamia nuts while your back was turned.

Milk and other dairy products. Unless you want to deal with a diarrhea-ridden doggy, don't feed your pet too many milk or dairy products. Most adult dogs (and cats) lack sufficient amounts of lactase in their systems, which breaks down the lactose in milk. In other words, your pet is probably lactose intolerant. As an alternative, stick with lactose-free milk products and proceed with a watchful eye.

Raw fish. Let's all have a collective moment of silence for our pets, who will never know the tasty wonders of sushi. Raw fish contains an enzyme that breaks down vitamin B, which, if your dog has too much, can lead to a loss of appetite, seizures and, in severe cases, death. If your dog got into the trash and already chowed down on some raw tuna, don't panic yet. The risks are more common if raw fish is fed to the pooch regularly.

Salt. Just like it's not always good for us people, salt can also be harmful to dogs. If eaten in large quantities, it may lead to electrolyte imbalances, which can induce vomiting. Iodized salt and salty foods can cause stomach ailments and pancreatitis. Larger breeds of dogs have also been known to drink too much water after all that salt, developing bloat - a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists.

CATS

FROM ABOVE, for the same reasons:

Onions and garlic
Baby food with onion powder
Caffeine
Chocolate
Grapes and raisins
Milk

MORE:

Dog food. Since cats require higher amounts of protein than dogs, feeding Fluffy food that's meant for Fido will deny her the important proteins she needs to stay healthy. Cats need taurine, an amino acid, in their diets (dogs make their own taurine); taurine deficiency in cats can develop into severe heart disease and health problems. As if that weren't enough, cats also require a different form of vitamin A than dogs, and must have this version supplemented in their diets via cat food.

Tomatoes. They may be rich in antioxidants that are great for us humans, but tomatoes also contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called Solanine. This can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms in your cat such as vomiting and refusing to eat. In this case, a cat was close to death after ingesting 100g of fresh, organic cherry tomatoes.

For even more (but less dangerous) foods to avoid feeding a pet, click here.