Hazardous to Pets

The following substances are hazardous to your pets. Contact your veterinarian for a more complete list of pet hazards. 

Foods

  • Alcoholic beverages 
  • Avocados 
  • Chives 
  • Chocolate (dark, milk, and white chocolate) 
  • Coffee 
  • Garlic 
  • Grapes
  • Macadamia nuts 
  • Moldy or spoiled foods 
  • Onions or onion powder 
  • Raisins 
  • Salt 
  • Xylitol (sweetener found in some peanut butters, toothpaste, gum, etc.) 
  • Yeast dough

Medications

  • Acetaminophen 
  • Antidepressants 
  • Anti-diabetics 
  • Baclofen (muscle relaxant) 
  • Caffeine pills 
  • Cold medicines 
  • Diet pills 
  • Fluorouracil (anti-cancer drugs) 
  • Ibuprofen 
  • Isoniazid (tuberculosis drugs) 
  • Methylphenidate (ADHD drugs) 
  • Naproxen 
  • Pain killers 
  • Pseudoephedrine 
  • Vitamins

Household Hazards

  • Batteries
  • Bleach 
  • Cat litter 
  • Disinfectant 
  • Drain cleaners 
  • Electrical cords 
  • Fabric softener sheets 
  • Laundry detergent 
  • Lead or lead dust 
  • Mercury 
  • Moth balls 
  • Paper shredders (tongues or tails can get caught in them)
  • Paint thinners 
  • Pennies (high concentration of zinc) 
  • Pest control items (ant poison, flea sprays, rat and mouse bait) 
  • Potpourri (liquid form) 
  • Zinc

Cold Weather Hazards

  • Antifreeze 
  • Ice melting products 

Warm Weather Hazards

  • Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions 
  • Blue-green algae in ponds  
  • Citronella candles  
  • Cocoa mulch  
  • Compost piles 
  • Insecticides 
  • Fertilizers  
  • Fly baits containing methomyl  
  • Outdoor plants and plant bulbs  
  • Pool and spa chemicals and treatment supplies  
  • Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde

Holiday Hazards

  • Christmas tree water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach) 
  • Glass ornaments 
  • Holly 
  • Lilies 
  • Mistletoe 
  • Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction)

Plants

  • Aloe  
  • Azalea  
  • Baby’s breath  
  • Begonia  
  • Buckeye  
  • Chamomile  
  • Chyrsanthemum  
  • Daffodil  
  • Dahlia  
  • Daisy  
  • Eucalyptus  
  • Fern  
  • Gardenia  
  • Geranium  
  • Hibiscus  
  • Holly 
  • Hyacinth 
  • Ivy 
  • Lilies 
  • Marijuana 
  • Mistletoe 
  • Morning Glory 
  • Mum 
  • Oleander 
  • Peony 
  • Periwinkle 
  • Rhododendron 
  • Tulip 
  • Wisteria 
  • Yew