Many foods that are healthy for people are harmful — sometimes deadly — for cats and dogs. When feeding pets or street animals, keep these away.
| Food | Why it's dangerous |
|---|---|
| Chocolate, coffee, energy drinks | Contain stimulants that cause vomiting, a racing heart and seizures. Dark chocolate is the worst. |
| Grapes and raisins | Can cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, even in small amounts. |
| Onion, garlic, leeks, chives | Damage red blood cells and cause anaemia — raw, cooked or powdered. Cats are especially sensitive. |
| Xylitol (sugar-free gum, sweets, some peanut butters) | Causes a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver failure in dogs. |
| Cooked bones | Splinter and can pierce or block the intestines. |
| Alcohol and raw bread dough | Cause alcohol poisoning; dough can also expand in the stomach. |
| Macadamia nuts | Weakness, tremors and fever in dogs. |
| Cow's milk (for cats and kittens) | Most cats cannot digest lactose; diarrhoea can be deadly for kittens. |
| Very salty or spicy leftovers | Cause vomiting, diarrhoea and, in large amounts, salt poisoning. |
Safe treats
Small pieces of plain cooked chicken, fish or egg; plain pumpkin; carrot or apple slices (no seeds) for dogs. Treats should be less than 10% of the daily diet.
If an animal ate something toxicGo to a vet immediately and bring the packaging. Read our guide I think the animal was poisoned.