Household items that could be dangerous for your dogs

Our dogs have different anatomies to us, which is why many things that are mostly safe for us can be bad or even deadly to them. Dog owners must educate themselves properly on how to look after their pets.  There are some things which are well known to be dangerous, such as chocolate. But there are many more obscure things that are also dangerous for dogs such as weed killer. Click here to learn more about the rise and fall of roundup weed killer which was discovered to be dangerous for both humans and pets.

Dogs can get into places that you don’t expect, and some will eat just about anything, so to protect your dogs, be aware of these everyday items. 

Weed Killer 

Some weed killers can be dangerous to dogs if ingested. Some dogs might eat some of the plants in your garden that you have spared, this could cause gastrointestinal upset, breathing problems and seizures. You should be precise about how you apply it and how you clean up. You may also want to avoid letting your dog into your garden for the day after it has been sprayed. Some local parks may post a schedule for when they spray the land. 

Artificial sweetener

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in sugar-free gum and candy. Whilst it claims to have benefits for humans such as preventing teeth decay if they use it where they would have used sugar. However, in dogs it can cause hypoglycemia and liver failure, both could be deadly. If the dog is sent to the vet quick enough, they may be able to a dextrose supplementation, this will result in the dog spending several days in the hospital and there is no guarantee that they will survive.

Unfortunately, these can be the sort of products that dogs are drawn to. Therefore, some animal experts suggest keeping your house free of any products containing Xylitol. 

Antifreeze

Antifreeze can cause kidney failure in dogs which could kill them. Yet the main ingredient ethylene glycol is attractive to dogs and smells sweet. In recent times antifreeze companies have been made to add something to it to make it unattractive for dogs. However, beware of any old antifreeze bottles which you may have lying about

Grapes

Grapes and raisins are a tasty and healthy treat for humans. (One tip is to try freezing grapes as an alternative to sweets). However, in dogs, they can cause kidney failure, which can be lethal. Scientists are unsure as to why dogs can have such an adverse reaction. It might be the fruit itself or mold on the fruit. 

It doesn’t take a lot of the fruit to cause illness, so you need to be careful with anything containing the products such as raisin scones or cookies. There is a story of a 90-pound Pit Bull who was hospitalized for two days after eating just two raisins.  

Chocolate

Chocolate is nearly as good to dogs as it is to humans and yet it can make them very sick. A small amount could result in an upset stomach including vomiting or diarrhea. However, larger amounts can be fatal.