Human foods that could be poisonous to pets

I keep a compost pile—actually two—in my back yard. They’re very basic and simple, but they work for me: four sturdy metal fence posts wrapped twice in fine mesh fencing. The wire mesh is sunk six inches below the ground, and it’s three feet high and about three feet wide in any direction.

One compost pile is within the bounds of my garden, which is also fenced in, but the other is close to the house, by the shed. This is what I call my “active” pile because it’s the one that gets all the fresh stuff: kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and so on.

Whenever I dump my scraps from the kitchen—banana peels, coffee grounds, old grapes, cantaloupe rinds, onion peels, apple cores, and the like—I bury them within the decomposing pile and cover it all with grass clippings or straw or anything that will hide the scraps and help disguise the smell. Why?

I have two dogs who use the yard regularly, and if they suddenly decided to become compost pile marauders, we might have some serious problems. There could also be a lost cat in the neighborhood who might decide that decaying vegetables are better than nothing for dinner.

Turns out that some of the foods that I enjoy regularly could make dogs and cats severely ill or even kill them. Grapes, onions, garlic, avocados, mushrooms, and coffee grounds—all of these end up in my compost pile (albeit in small amounts) along with peach and plum pits and all sorts of vegetable matter, some of which is harmless to any animal. But some of it can be deadly.

Indoors, I’m careful with other foods, like raisins (which I love), chocolate, tea bags, alcoholic beverages of any kind, and nuts. I’m even careful about houseplants, like my dieffenbachia but also poinsettias and bulb flowers like hyacinth. One of my cats, in particular, likes to go after houseplants so I have to be careful.

While raisins, grapes, onions, and chocolate are among the worst when it comes to toxic effects on pets, there are other hazards from foods people eat, like small bones from cooked chicken or turkey. Fish bones. Beef or other large bones can splinter and cause damage to the intestines when ingested (raw bones are a different matter). Even baby food chicken or turkey—which I occasionally give to my cats when they’ve been sick—can have onion powder in it. Read labels carefully.

There has been a lot of news and talk about the benefits of feeding our pets so-called “human food” as opposed to only commercially prepared kibble or canned food, and I agree with much of it. But caution and knowledge are absolutely essential.

The most important thing to remember is that the digestive systems of our beloved pets are not the same as ours, and what we enjoy on a regular basis and think is healthy could kill them. Even if you never feed your dog or cat anything that remotely resembles human food, be careful of items left out in the kitchen or dropped on the floor, well-meaning children who might offer “treats” to pets, and compost piles, like mine (I’m thinking of getting a plastic, fully-enclosed compost bin, like the one in the photo, just to be on the safe side).

Here are several extensive lists of poisonous foods and substances from reliable sources. Check them out, learn them, memorize them, and share them with your family and friends. You’ll be glad you did.

Foods potentially poisonous to pets

Foods to avoid feeding your dog

People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

If you found this article helpful, you might enjoy this one:  What should I feed my dog?

© Leah McClellan

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