Every year thousands of pets end up in veterinary emergency clinics needing treatment for something they ate. Today, some very bad human foods that can be dangerous to your pet in this edition of Pet Pointers.

We all know chocolate is bad for all pets. Candy bars, baking chocolate and cocoa powder all contain theobromine, a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When an animal eats chocolate they may become very thirsty, urinate excessively, vomit or have diarrhea as well as irregular heart beat. Although the symptoms may be subtle, death is possible within 24 hours.

Onions and garlic should also be avoided. They contain thiosulphate, a substance that causes illness in cats, dogs and livestock. When a pet is poisoned by onions at first they become weak begin vomiting and have diarrhea, followed by difficulty breathing and reddish urine. Even a small amount of onion from onion powder ingested over time can be harmful.

Macadamia nuts have also been found to be harmful to dogs. Dogs that have eaten macadamia nuts exhibit joint pain, swelling, tremors and paralysis of the hind legs. Researchers have found that the affected animals do recover but it's best to keep these out of their reach.

Grapes and raisins are lethal and can cause severe kidney failure and death in dogs and cats.

The list of human foods that can hurt your pets is long and is some cases surprising. Fruit pits from pears, apples, peaches, apricots and plums. Potato peelings and green potatoes, tomato leaves & stems, large amounts of broccoli, rhubarb leaves as well as alcohol, yeast dough, coffee grounds, tea, hops used in home brewing, and tobacco products.

These are some of the most common human foods that have the most severe complications for cats and dogs. To avoid any issues it's always best to stick to pet food and treats made just for them.