Foods you should keep away from your animals

I love animals, pure and simple.  I have 3 indoor cats, 1 outdoor cat, and 3 inside dogs.  Told you I love animals!  As an animal lover I do all that I can to ensure that my pets are taken care and loved.  Other animal lovers do the same for their pets and may sometimes include a special "human" treat.  While this may be okay there are certain things that you need to avoid when giving human foods to animals.  Here are 5 foods that animals should not be given.

Chocolate--you hear this one all the time.  And yes I know many people have given their dogs chocolate and they are just fine but it is always better to be on the safe side.  Most studies show that it depends on the amount of chocolate consumed and what type of chocolate it is.  For example, baking chocolate is more fatal to dogs because it contains higher amounts of cocoa.  Cocoa has theobromide in it and can cause restlessness, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, vomiting, hyperthermia and coma.

Onions--Now most dogs will not eat onions but if I drop one on the floor I make sure to get it up quickly because you just never know when they might decide to try it.  Raw or cooked onions may damage dog's red blood cells and could cause hemolytic anemia if ingested in large amounts.  This includes onion powder, dehydrated onions, and onion soup mixes.  

Avocados--Studies show that avocado leaves, fruit, seeds and their bark can contain a toxin called Persin.  It can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and cats can get poisoned from it as well.  The pit can also be a choking hazard.

Grapes/Raisins--Large quantities of these fruits can be very harmful to your pet. Renal failure is probable if consumed in large quantities. If they get 1 or 2 they should be okay but always check for signs of toxicity like vomiting and diarrhea.

Macadamia Nuts--While still unsure what in these nuts causes animals to get sick it is best to know to stay away from them.  Most cases are not fatal and can be treated it is still misery for the animal.  It can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors, and hyperthermia in dogs.

This provides you with a short list of what could be toxic to animals.  For a more extensive list, including common household cleaners and plants, check this site http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?title=Prevent_Poisonings or http://www.veterinarytechnicianschoolsonline.com/?page_id=33.