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Dogs are most commonly affected because of their indiscriminate eating habits.

We know that you love your furry four-legged friends, but did you realize that some common household foods could make your pets extremely ill?

A recent review of studies published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science by two Italian researchers at the University of Milan found that several typical human foods were frequently involved in the inadvertent poisoning of pets, particularly dogs.

Grapes and their dried products (raisins, sultanas and currants)

Grapes, both fresh and dried (raisins, sultanas and currants), can cause kidney failure in dogs, although some dogs are more susceptible than others, the review found.

For example, some dogs ate up to 2 pounds of raisins without any life-threatening effect, while others died after eating just a handful. Kidney failure was reported in a dog weighing about 18 pounds that ate only four to five grapes. Given this wide range of reactions, dogs that eat any amount of grapes or raisins should be taken quickly to a veterinarian.

Artificial sweetener xylitol

The artificial sweetener xylitol is used in sugar-free gum and other sweets and baked goods, as well as in a number of dental care products, because of its antibacterial properties.

As its use has spread, so have reports of severe, life-threatening problems in dogs that ate foods that contained the sweetener. Xylitol, the researchers explained, causes a “dramatic decrease in blood glucose levels” in dogs. It also has been associated with liver failure.

Symptoms of xylitol poisoning can occur within 30 to 60 minutes of ingestion, but they also may occur up to 12 hours later. Symptoms begin with vomiting and can worsen to lethargy, collapse and seizures.

A recent study reported 192 cases of xylitol poisoning in dogs from 2007 to 2012. All the dogs survived, thanks to prompt veterinary care, researchers noted.
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