Many pet owners consider their pets their fur babies, but unlike human babies cats and dogs can not enjoy all the same foods that we can. It may be tempting to give your pet something that seems like a nice treat, but be cautious, there are many human foods that are dangerous for pets to eat. 

There are a variety of issues that can come with feeding your animals human food such as pet obesity and allergic reactions, but the most concerning is poisoning or toxic reactions. Here are some examples of foods with high pet toxicity:

1. Onions and garlic
Vegetables of the allium family are toxic to dogs. This includes onion and garlic. It only takes 0.5 percent of a dog’s weight to be toxic and cause the pet to become sick. Garlic especially is more toxic than onions. This also includes shallots, leaks, and chives. Every part of these vegetables, including the skin, can cause illness for pets

2. Chocolate
Many pet owners know that chocolate is dangerous for dogs but it is for cats as well. Chocolate is not always fatal to pets but it does cause severe illness. For milk chocolate it only takes 0.5 ounces per pound of body weight to become toxic, and only 0.13 ounces per pound of body weight for dark chocolate. The most common side effect of consuming chocolate for animals is vomiting

3. Caffeine
One of the reasons that chocolate is toxic to animals is because of the trace amounts of caffeine. Caffeine can enter the GI tract and causes vomiting. This poisons the pet and can last in the system anywhere from twelve hours to a few days. Coffee contains a high amount of caffeine which is dangerous for pets. Just like humans, coffee can raise an animal’s blood pressure to unsafe levels and even cause death. This also includes drinks such as tea

4. Alcohol
Alcohol is very toxic to pets. Even one sip has the potential of causing alcohol poisoning, which can occur in humans as well. It can cause a variety of symptoms including vomiting, heavy panting, and tremors or seizures. Pets with any of these symptoms should be taken to a vet right away. This can also be caused by eating raw bread dough or certain syrups

5. Grapes and raisins
The ASPCA, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, states that the toxic chemical in Grapes and Raisins is unknown, but they are known to cause kidney failure in dogs. Even one to two grapes can kill a pet depending on the animals’ size. If your animal eats a grape watch for signs of poisoning such as vomiting and diarrhea. This seemingly harmless fruit is high in pet toxicity