What is food toxicity?
Food toxicity or intoxication, commonly called food poisoning, is the same in dogs and cats as it is in humans. Food toxicity occurs when food ingested by a dog or cat reacts adversely with their digestive system, causing negative symptoms.

Symptoms might be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the toxin that has been consumed. Some of the milder toxins might cause slight gastric distress and symptoms like diarrhea, whereas if a pet has eaten something more hazardous, they could exhibit life-threatening symptoms.

Whatever the case, if it is suspected that a dog or cat has even a mild case of food poisoning, it is prudent to get it checked with the vet, so it doesn’t lead to anything serious.

How do we know if our cat or dog has food poisoning?
The clue to diagnosing food toxicity or poisoning in pets lies in the symptoms exhibited by them. Signs usually depend on the type of toxin and amount ingested.

Some of the more common symptoms of poisoning/food toxicity are unexplained diarrhea, vomiting, excessive drooling, muscle tremors, hyperactivity, shock, seizures, and coma.

What are some of the causes of food toxicity?
Dogs and cats are notorious for getting into garbage and putting things in their mouth. So food poisoning or toxicity is very common in them.

In most cases, food poisoning is caused by illness-causing germs and bacteria in food. The food might be old, stale, or something a dog or cat is allergic to.

Undercooked or raw meat, eggs, and fish are huge carriers of the salmonella bacteria. Staphylococcus is another common toxin that can grow in a dog or cat’s stomach after being consumed.

What is the treatment for food poisoning?
Depending on the cause of food toxicity, the vet might recommend a change in diet. If the toxicity is caused due to food allergies, a hypoallergenic diet is usually suggested.

If toxicity is caused by eating spoiled food or garbage, tonics that soothe the stomach and prevent gastric distress are given.

If the dog or cat has symptoms of a gastric infection like vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, the vet might put them on antibiotics and IV fluids until the pet makes a recovery.

What is the prognosis for food toxicity?
In most food toxicity cases, when an allergen or spoiled food causes the toxicity, the dog or cat makes a complete recovery in 4-5 days.

For more severe forms of toxicity, like the consumption of hazardous chemicals or ingredients, the dog or cat will need immediate and intensive medical intervention. In these cases, the symptoms are much more severe, bordering on life-threatening, and recovery depends on the type of toxic ingredient consumed the amount and timely treatment. For example, chocolate is poisonous to a dog and can cause death within 24 hours if not treated immediately.

Many human foods like chocolate, grapes, caffeine, and onions are poisonous to dogs and cats. If it is suspected that they’ve eaten any of the above ingredients, they should be taken to an emergency vet immediately.