Toxic Foods, Plants & Chemicals in Your Home: The Hidden Dangers
Accidental poisonings remain a big threat to our animal companions, and the threat seems to be growing.
Sometimes fatal without emergency veterinary care, most of these poisonings are caused by everyday household items, including over-the-counter medications, chocolate, house plants, and household products.
Educating yourself about these common poisons to pets can help you prevent your dog or cat from becoming exposed to them. Trends, government actions, and other influences can also affect which items appear on the list, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on poisoning statistics. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a surge in gardening and the purchase of house plants, increasing the risk of plant-related poisonings for dogs and cats.
It won’t come as a surprise to dog owners that canines are more often the victims of poisonings than cats, given their propensity to ingest just about anything. One Pet Poison Helpline report found that about 90% of toxicity cases involved dogs and only about 10% involved cats (Grady Veterinary Hospital, February 2024).
If you suspect that your pet has been exposed to any of the following toxins, seeking immediate medical care is the best thing you can do to ensure their health and safety.
The emergency-trained veterinary staff here at MyPets Veterinary Urgent Care & Wellness can help: 425-600-5201.
Further information is also available through the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline: 888-426-4435.
The Latest Top Culprits in Pet Poisonings in the U.S.
The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center recently reported that it responded to almost half a million (more than 451,000) calls related to poisonings in animals in 2024 alone, representing a nearly 4% increase over the previous year.
Here were the top culprits.
Human OTC Medications
Ibuprofen and other OTC medications were the number one cause of poisonings reported to the ASPCA in 2024, representing 16.5% of all toxin exposures (ASPCA, March 2025). Early numbers out for 2025 showed a slight rise in this category, to 16.9%, making OTC medications a particular concern for our pets.
The trend isn’t new. In 2021, the ASPCA reported that OTC medications were the leading cause of pet poisonings for the fourth year running. Numbers from the American Animal Hospital Association reflected the same, with these medicines topping the Animal Poison Control Center’s list of common pet toxins.
Chocolate, Xylitol, & Other Foods & Pantry Items
Human food and drinks came in a close second, totalling 16.1% of toxic exposures in 2024. Like OTC medications, this category also grew slightly in 2025, to 16.4%.
Chocolate remains a serious danger to both dogs and cats, accounting for 13.6% of all toxic pet exposures in 2024—a number that is also steadily growing. The ASPCA has reported that it averages more than 103 chocolate ingestion cases per day, or more than one every 15 minutes (ASPCA, March 2021).
The naturally occurring sugar alcohol xylitol is also particularly problematic for dogs, due in part to the fact that it is found in common food items such as sugar-free desserts, candy, mints, and gum as well as other common household items, including toothpastes, mouthwashes, cough syrups, nasal sprays, liquid medicines, and dietary supplements. Effects from xylitol poisoning can show in dogs in as quickly as 10 minutes, with more serious symptoms taking up to 24 hours to show, making immediate medical attention important (FDA, 2024). For example, Cornell research found that hypoglycemia caused by xylitol usually develops within 30 to 60 minutes, with the potential for liver damage or failure coming several hours later (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, August 2022). In one study reported by Merck, the majority of dogs (62.5%) with clinical signs of xylitol-induced liver injury died or were euthanized despite aggressive treatment.
“Check the label for xylitol in the ingredients of products, especially ones that advertise as sugar-free or low sugar,” advises Martine Hartogensis, a veterinarian with the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, adding, “If a product does contain xylitol, make sure your pet can't get to it.”
In one recent year alone, the FDA reported receiving 6,100 calls related to xylitol poisoning in dogs, many involving chewing gum.
Veterinary Products
Unspecified veterinary products came in next on the list, responsible for 8.6% of all toxin exposures in 2024. The only product called out was the NSAID carprofen, primarily used in veterinary medicine to treat inflammation and pain in dogs. It is most often prescribed for osteoarthritis and post-operative pain.
Poisonous Plants for Cats & Dogs
Just behind veterinary products on the list was plants and fungi (8.1%).
In 2021, the ASPCA saw an additional 7,500 calls related to toxic plant ingestion, compared to 2020. This was attributed to the increase in houseplant sales and gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic (ASPCA, March 2021).
In both dogs and cats, the sago palm can cause bleeding, vomiting, liver failure, and death.
For cats, lilies came in first on the Pet Poison Hotline’s 2024 list of common toxins, and tulips came in 10th. The bulb of the lily contains the highest concentration of toxic compounds.
Immediate medical attention is often critical in these exposure cases. In one 2024 study, almost half (46.9% of inpatient and 43.8% of outpatient) of 112 cats brought to the University of Pennsylvania for lily exposure were found to be experiencing acute kidney injury. Inpatient cats who were treated saw a 100% survival rate, while outpatient cats saw an 87.5% survival rate (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, May 2024).
Delaying treatment beyond 18 hours post-ingestion often leads to irreversible kidney failure, according to UC Davis, with death occurring within 36 to 72 hours without appropriate treatment. Frontiers in Veterinary Science mirrors this, reporting survival rates of up to 100% when the appropriate treatment is administered within 48 hours, but only an 18% survival rate if kidney failure develops and hemodialysis is needed.
Lilies from the highest-risk genera “pose the highest mortality risk if ingested,” according to Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, and that “even consuming small amounts, such as fewer than 1 to 2 petals or leaves, or ingesting pollen or water from the vase can cause severe, acute kidney failure” in cats (DVM360, April 2025).
Rodenticides & Other Pesticides
Responsible for 7% of all toxin-exposure cases in 2024, rodenticides came in next on the list, moving up a spot from the previous year.
Due to Environmental Protection Association (EPA) restrictions, the chemicals in these products available to consumers are shifting.
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual: “Due to the EPA mitigation requirements, the risk of future companion animal exposure in the U.S. will be increasing for bromethalin and cholecalciferol, and decreasing for anticoagulant and phosphide rodenticide products” (Merck Veterinary Manual, updated 2023–2024).
Insecticides, another pesticide, resulted in 3.7% of cases in 2024.
Household Cleaners & Products
Household products like detergents and deoxidize packets came in next on the list (6.5%). Deoxidize packets are the little “pillowy” packets that come in many supplements, powders, and other consumables to keep them fresh. They, along with batteries, were the top culprits in this category (ASPCA, March 2025).
Other household products to keep away from pets include liquid laundry detergent, laundry detergent pods, and dryer sheets. Eating these items can lead to chemical burns or ulcers, obstructions in the digestive tract, and other sometimes life-threatening symptoms.
Liquid potpourri products and essential oils containing cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, wintergreen, and ylang ylang can also be dangerous to dogs, both in cases of ingestion or simple skin exposure. In fact, just a lick or two of liquid potpourri can burn the mouth and is rapidly absorbed, according to Healthy Paws Animal Hospital.
Recreational Drugs
Finally, recreational drugs like THC (marijuana) were responsible for 2.1% of pet poisonings in 2024.
The ASPCA reported that although THC exposures were on the decline, by 24.7% year-over-year per the Pet Poison Helpline, hallucinogenic mushroom exposures were rising.
Although THC tends to cause symptoms in dogs, such as ataxia, hyperesthesia, lethargy/depression, urine incontinence, and vomiting, these symptoms tend not to be fatal, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Still, seeking medical care can help your pet start feeling better faster and avoid complications.
Pacific Northwest-Specific Poisoning Risks for Pets
There are also more specific dangers for pets in the Pacific Northwest area, and this includes environmental toxins.
Exposures to blue-green algae, or cyanotoxin, in companion animals were shown to be steadily on the rise between 2010 and 2022, a 2023 ASPCA report showed (Toxins, August 2023).
Pets can die in as little as 15 to 20 minutes following exposure to cyanotoxin, Washington State University reported in July 2025. In up to 90% of a lethal dose, dogs may show no clinical signs of exposure before collapse or death (Washington State Department of Health, August 2023).
