Pet care information

Toxic Human Food

CHOCOLATE

This is an important one espically around easter time of the year as the could be a resonable amount of chocolate stashed around the house in easy reach of you dog. the toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine and caffeine, the effect of these drugs are well known in humans. Unfortunatly dog are more sensitive to the effects of these drugs and the toxic dose may eaisly be  reached.  The caffeine and theobromine are contained in the cocoa bean that is used in making chocolate, more cocoa is used in the making of the dark and expensive chocolate.
The toxic dose varies in each type of chocolate. For a 10 kg dog it may be as low as 70gm of dark chocolate or  even as high as 500g of milk chocolate ( which contains little cocoa.)  The onset of clinical signs is usually with in hours. Clinical signs could include vomiting and or diarrhoea, hyperexcitability, Hyper irritability, increased heart rate,  weakness, ataxia, seizures and coma leading to death. 

ONIONS, CHIVES, SHALLOTS, GARLIC

This group of bulbs causes it's toxic effects mainly in the cat and dog, by a sulfur containing compound which is found to be highest in onions, it is not affected by cooking and also in onion powder. Please be aware of the left over fried onions at a  BBQ as they will almost allways have some sausage or steak flavour imparted to them from the BBQ , dogs can some times find it hard to resist. The toxic dose is not known  but it is known that cats are more sensitive to the effects than dogs. Clinical signs may take 24 -72 hours to show. The clinical signs are usually related to changes in the red blood cells resulting in a haemolytic anemia which causes weakness, red urine, and potential death.

AVOCADO

This toxicity is mainly seen in birds, the toxic agent is persin which is found in most parts of the plant including leaves and flesh of the fruit. The toxic dose is unknown. Clinical signs usually begin with in 12 hours and include mastitis and cardiac problems, (the cardiac problems can be fatal in birds.) 

MACADEMIA NUTS

The toxic agent in macademia nuts is unknown, the toxic dose is also unknown,( one study showed that 200g in a 10kg dog causes symptoms).  The clinical signs usually show with in 12 hours and last for 24-48 hours and include vomiting, weakness, depression, hyperthermia (increased body temp)-all of which can be potentially serious.  I do not know if macademia nuts are toxic to humans but if I ate 1.5kg of Macademia nuts, I am sure that I would not feel to good for a day or two.

Having said that it has been reported that dogs have suffered from ingestion of macademia nuts, and dog do die from hyperthermia.