• Foods to avoid: macadamia nuts, chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, anything containing caffeine, anything containing artificial sweetener. All of these are highly toxic to dogs and should be carefully avoided.

• Medication safety: many owners are surprised to hear that common over-the-counter medications are extremely toxic to dogs. The two most common medications are ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Motrin) and acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol). If a dog eats a dropped ibuprofen pill, this medication can cause kidney failure in dogs. Acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage in dogs. Keep these medications far away from your pets and be vigilant about picking up any dropped pills. My own parents unfortunately learned from experience when my childhood dog ate a single dropped ibuprofen pill and ended up in kidney failure. She survived due to quick veterinary treatment, however it was a scary lesson to learn the hard way.

Hawaii has a few unique safety risks. While my husband and I were already experienced dog owners before arriving in Hawaii, we learned about some specific local risks from our veterinarian.

• Bufo toads (also known as cane toads): These toads are extremely toxic and exposure to Bufo toxin can be deadly for your dog. Bufo toads secrete poison from a gland near the back of their head. If your dog’s nose or mouth comes into contact with the poison, it absorbs through the mucous membranes and can cause neurological and cardiac problems that can quickly be fatal. Read more about the risks of Bufo toads here. If you think your dog has been exposed to Bufo toxin, wipe their mouth out immediately and rush them to the veterinarian.
  The best way to avoid Bufo toads is to go outside during broad daylight hours. Bufo toads are not commonly seen during the day. One caveat: dead toads are STILL poisonous, so if there is a flattened toad in the road, your curious pup may find it during the day. When letting dogs out at night, I check the accessible areas with a flashlight first and keep the dog on a close leash to prevent any surprise encounters.

• Little Fire Ants: this invasive species is unfortunately spreading throughout the state of Hawaii. These ants are different from typical ants as they are very small and have painful stings. If your dog is around little fire ants, the ants commonly sting near dogs’ eyes which can lead to blindness. You can check this map to see if there are any little fire ant colonies in your area.

• Toxic plants: Hawaii is home to many beautiful and unique plants, however some of these plants are very toxic if ingested by your pup. Hawaii has so many different ecosystems it would be difficult or impossible to list all of the potentially toxic plants your pet might encounter here. I advise looking up your specific area to identify which toxic plants may commonly grow near you. For example, a plant called Angel’s Trumpet is very common in my area and very toxic if ingested by a dog. In addition to teaching your pup the good habit of NOT eating things off the ground, it is best to steer clear of potentially toxic plants.

• Leptospirosis: This is a disease that thrives in fresh water and can be spread by wildlife. It is especially common in Hawaii due to our tropical climate, fresh water streams and waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. There is a vaccination for leptospirosis which you can discuss with your chosen veterinarian. We have chosen to vaccinate against leptospirosis as we live right above a freshwater stream in an area with lots of wildlife.