Many of us know that chocolate is bad for dogs, cats, birds, and other animals, but that’s just one of many common items that are toxic to pets. Read on, keep this article handy, and share this information with friends and family.

What to Avoid

Xylitol, the sweet, white powder that’s a popular ingredient in chewing gum, mints, candy bars, mouthwashes, nasal sprays, nutritional supplements, and other products, has proven health benefits—for humans. It helps prevent cavities, dental plaque, dry mouth, bad breath, and ear infections while remineralizing teeth, strengthening bones, and helping prevent osteoporosis. But in 2004, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center, the nation’s leading source of information for veterinarians and pet owners about toxic foods and chemicals, issued a xylitol warning.

To date, the Center has received reports of more than 174 dogs sickened by xylitol, some of whom died. “The problem with xylitol [in pets] is that it can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar,” explains Dana Farbman, the Center’s spokesperson. “Just one or two pieces of xylitol-sweetened gum can cause this reaction in a 20-pound dog.” Depression, vomiting, and hypoglycemia are the most common symptoms of xylitol toxicity. In serious cases, the pet may have an unsteady gait, weakness, shaky movements, and seizures.

To prevent problems, study labels. If you use xylitol powder as a sugar substitute, be extra careful. Keep all xylitol products where dogs and other pets can’t reach them, and seek immediate medical attention for any animal that swallows xylitol.

Chocolate may be a hot new health food, but its theobromine and caffeine are dangerous to dogs and other animals. Ironically, the darker the chocolate, the better it is for humans—and the more toxic it is for pets.

Some dogs swallow Halloween and Easter candy, wrappers and all, with no serious side effects. Those pooches are lucky, say the experts, but their next indulgence could be fatal. Twenty ounces of milk chocolate or only two ounces of baking chocolate can poison a ten-pound dog.

Like dark chocolate, cocoa powder is potentially fatal to pets. Even cocoa bean shell mulch, a popular garden product, is dangerous if ingested.

The rule for pet lovers is simple. Keep all forms of chocolate away from animals, and if your pet swallows any chocolate, don’t wait to see what happens. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s emergency hotline (888-426-4435) immediately.

Grapes and raisins are so wholesome that some people use them as training treats. One or two won’t cause harm, but dogs have died from acute renal failure after eating grapes or raisins, and veterinary researchers don’t know why. When quantities could be estimated, the smallest toxic dosage was about a third of an ounce of grapes per pound of body weight. The affected dogs included all breeds and sizes, and the grapes and raisins were organically as well as conventionally grown. A word to the wise: Keep grapes and raisins where dogs can’t reach them.

Onions, garlic, and chives contain thiosulphate, which can cause poten-tially fatal hemolytic or “Heinz factor” anemia in dogs and cats. While many holistic veterinarians recommend small amounts of garlic for pets, more than one small clove of garlic per 20 pounds of body weight per day, and regular doses of onions in any amount, can cause circulating red blood cells to burst. To prevent problems, keep these foods away from pets.

Macadamia nuts? This one sounds like an Internet hoax, but it’s true. Macadamia nuts can cause temporary paralysis (hind-end weakness) in dogs, along with lethargy, depression, diarrhea, and vomiting. Clinical effects were reported in dogs that consume