• Alcohol - Do not give your dog sips of any alcoholic drink. Ingestion can lead to injury, disorientation, sickness, urination problems or even coma or death from alcohol poisoning. Some dogs are attracted to alcoholic drinks so be careful not to leave one lying around where a dog can reach it.
• Apple and Apricot - The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can lead to cyanide poisoning.
• Avocado - Avocado contains a toxic element called persin which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. Avocadoes are high in fat content and can trigger an upset stomach, vomiting or even pancreatitis. The seed pit is also toxic and if swallowed can become lodged in the intestinal tract where it may cause a severe blockage which will have to be removed surgically.
• Bones - Cooked bones can be very hazardous for your dog. Bones become brittle when cooked which causes them to splinter when broken and travelling through the dogs digestive system. The splinters have sharp edges that have been known to become stuck in the teeth or in the roof of the mouth, cause choking when caught in the throat or caused a rupture or puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract.
• Raw bones (uncooked) like chicken necks, non weight bearing bones of larger animals such as raw beef brisket bones, tails and necks are generally considered safe and help keep your dog's teeth clean and healthy by removing plaque. A caution - bones have a high calcium content and too many can cause severe constipation. A good guide is if their poops are white and hard they are getting too much bone in their diet.

• Caffeine - Beverages with caffeine (like soda, tea, coffee) acts as a stimulant and can accelerate your pet's heartbeat to a dangerous level. Pets ingesting caffeine have been known to have seizures, some fatal.
• Chewing Gum or Sugarfree Lollies - Sugarfree gum or lollies containing xylitol has been recognised to be a risk to pets. This compound can cause seizures, liver damage and death in some dogs. This information is recent and some vets may not be familiar with xylitol poisoning.
• Cherries - The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
• Chocolate - Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include: vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, hyperactivity, irregular heartbeat and seizures.
  After their dog has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.
• Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog sick. The next most dangerous forms are semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate, however the high amount of fat found in milk chocolate can lead to an attack of pancreatitis.
• Citrus Oils - Citrus oil extracts can cause a toxic reaction with vomiting.
• Corn Cobs - Many dogs have suffered and, in some cases, died after eating corn-on-the-cob, because the corn cob caused a partial or complete intestinal obstruction or blockage of the Bowel. Never allow your dog access to corn cobs.

• Dairy Products -( Milk ) - Most dairy products are not digested well by dogs who have little or none of the enzyme required to digest the lactose in milk. Lactose-intolerant dogs can develop excessive intestinal gas and may have foul-smelling diarrhoea. Small amounts of cheese or plain yoghurt are tolerated by most dogs, as these products have less lactose than most others.
• Grapes or Raisins - Although the minimum lethal dosage is not known, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities. The symptoms are gastrointestinal signs including vomiting and diarrhea, and then signs of kidney failure with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after ingestion.
  Due to the severity of the signs and the potential for death, the veterinarians at the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) advocate aggressive treatment for any dog believed to have ingested excessive amounts of grapes or raisins, including inducing vomiting, stomach pumping and administration of activated charcoal, followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours or as indicated based on the results of blood tests for kidney damage.
• Liver - Small amounts of liver are generally well tolerated by most dogs but if the liver intake is too high it can cause nutritional problems due to the high content of vitamin A. Consumption of this vitamin in large amounts can lead to vitamin A toxicity, or hypervitaminosis A. If your dog eats raw liver or consumes three servings of cooked liver a week it could lead to bone problems. Symptoms of hypervitaminosis A are deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss and anorexia. If left unchecked, hypervitaminosis A has in some cases caused death.
• Macadamia Nuts - The toxic compound is unknown but eating as few as six nuts without the shell has been known to cause elevated body temperature, accelerated heartbeat, tremors in the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs have difficulty or are unable to rise, are distressed and usually panting.Some affected dogs have had swollen limbs and showed pain when the limb was manipulated. Dogs did recover from the muscle weakness and pain and it is not known if there have been any fatal cases. Macadamia butter is included in this warning.
• Mouldy or Spoiled Foods - The common mold found growing on many foods contain toxins such as Penicillium mold toxins or tremorgenic mycotoxins. Symptoms of poisoning include severe tremors and seizures that can last for hours or even days. This is considered an emergency and medical treatment is needed to control the seizures and detoxify the dog.

• Nutmeg - Nutmeg is reported to be a hallucinogenic when ingested in large doses. Nutmeg has been known to cause tremors, seizures and in some cases, death.
• Nuts - Nuts in general are not good for dogs as their high phosphorus content may lead to bladder stones.
• Spoiled foods can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning are severe vomiting, diarrhea and shock.
  Prevention is the best course, don't feed your dog mouldy food left in the fridge and remove access to rotten food in rubbish or compost bins.
• Onions - Onions cause hemolytic anemia, which means that the red blood cells break down leaving the dog short of oxygen. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. The condition generally improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion. The poisoning may occur a few days after the dog has eaten the onion. At first dogs affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea, weakness and show little or no interest in food. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected dog's urine making it dark colored. The dog will experience shortness of breath because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. Other symptoms are elevated body temperature, confusion, and increased heart rate. Seek veterinary care immediately. Caution: If feeding Baby Food to an ill dog please read the ingredients first to ensure it does not contain onion. Small amounts of garlic are generally well tolerated.
• Peaches, Pears, Plums - The seed pits contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
• Rich Fatty Foods - Rich, fatty foods can be very dangerous to dogs susceptible to attacks of pancreatitis. Often you may not know that your dog is susceptible until he is very sick with his first attack.
  Signs of pancreatitis generally include an acute onset of vomiting (sometimes with diarrhea) and abdominal pain, which may be evidenced as a hunched posture or splinting of the abdomen when picked up. The dog may become very sick quickly and often needs intensive fluid and antibiotic therapy.

• Plastic Food Wrap - Dogs have been known to ingest pieces of plastic wrap while trying to eat food remnants left on its surface. Plastic food wrap can cause choking or intestinal obstruction.
• Play Dough - Home made play dough contains high levels of salt. When ingested this can cause salt poisoning which can be fatal.
• Tobacco Products - Cigarettes and cigarette butts, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and chewing tobacco can be fatal to dogs if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisoning can appear within an hour and include hyperactivity, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Advanced signs include muscle weakness, twitching, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest. If anyone who lives in or visits your home smokes, tell them to keep tobacco products out of reach of pets and to dispose of butts immediately. If you suspect your dog has ingested any of these seek veterinary treatment immediately.
• Water (Yes water) - There are also dangers lurking in still water that you need to be aware of:
• Stagnant water in ponds, puddles, small lakes, canals, creeks and other places where water sits still may contain harmful bacteria (Leptospira interrogans) and parasites such as giardia.
• Toilet water with freshener or cleansers in the tank or bowl contain toxic chemicals; so a very good argument for keeping those toilet seats down and the toilet door closed. One of our Basenjis became violently ill and almost died from drinking water out of a bucket which had a plant sitting in it waiting to be planted in a family members garden.

Information provided courtesy of CURLY TAILS BOWEN AND ANIMAL THERAPIES