What foods are toxic to dogs and cats and what to do if poisoned?

Hello, it really depends on what poison or toxin your cat got into. There are specific therapies for these. If it is recent ingestion of a toxin or poison, you may have your veterinarian induce vomiting to prevent the side effects of this toxin. I would recommend finding immediate emergency care for your cat and informing them what specific poison or ingestion of toxin you think your cat got into so that they can better help you. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi, It is hard to say without more specific information about the dose , concentration of the ingested xylitol. In general a dose of 50 milligrams (mg) of xylitol per pound of body weight (which is 100mg/kg) considered toxic. Xylitol will cause rapid release of insulin which causes a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that occurs within 10-60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can be life-threatening. Signs of hypoglycemia may include: vomiting, weakness, lack of coordination, difficulty walking or standing, lethargy, tremors, seizures and coma. If your dog ate toxic amount take him to the vet ASAP, if not yet showing signs induction of vomiting may be done and if there are signs he will need immediate treatment. If you'd like you can post the question again with the amount in the tablet. With melatonin there are some conditions where it is given to dogs again at the right dose. again more information about the dose is crucial here. I also have no information about your dog body weight but small dog will normally treated with 1 mg tablet and medium dog 1.5mg. Hope that's help and you can post again with information needed : weight of the dog, dosage of xylitol and melatonin ingested or ask for a private consult.

Hi and thanks for your questions again! Since you seem to have a few follow up questions regarding the food, I think it is best if we talk via consult as it would be easier to answer your questions your have. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon!

Candies and smarties contains different type of sugars and possibly xylitol and chocolate, which are both toxic to dogs and cats. An immediate check up is required to make your cat sick and give medication to reduce gastrointestinal absorption of toxics. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service

Hi and thanks for your request. It is unlikely that toxicity is a problem at this stage. Differentials for inappetence are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food.I would recommend a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with your Auntie! Is Oliver getting sick from the foods she is feeding him? If he isn't then it may be hard to convince her. If you want to repost the types of food she is feeding we can try to provide you proof that the foods could cause a problem. Could you keep Oliver in your room and not allow his access to the open door? If you want to repost and list the foods she is feeding we can try to give specific examples of how she could be hurting him. I wish you the best of luck!

Hi Stella! I would be glad to answer your questions :-) Pets can be obese for a couple of reasons. One reason can be free-feeding, but it also be due to a lack of exercise, and feeding your pet lots of human food and treats. It's not recommended to feed your pet human food unless for a specific medical reason (i.e. boiled white meat chicken with no bones for GI upset) because it adds extra calories to their diet which they don't need. Also, many human foods are toxic to dogs and cats. It's not recommended to free fed dogs, they should get two meals a day. As for cats, cats tend to be grazers, some people do leave food out all day for them to eat their leisure. This is fine to do with cats who are a healthy weight, and you can switch to scheduled feeding if they are obese. It is true free feeding can lead to obesity, but you can manage this with cats by not leaving a huge amount of food out all the time. You can measure out their daily amount, and they can eat at their leisure. I think the direction of pet feeder technology is amazing, especially now that there are bowls that dispense not only dry food, but wet food and medication. The only problem I see with dispensing medication is that there's no guarantee the animal will take it. I think automatic feeders can be great for cats when the owner is away because they are more independent, but I think dogs should be fed by people since they have to be taken out for a walk anyway. Dogs need more attention than cats typically do, especially when owners are away.