[nagdu] harmful foods for dogs

[Sherrill O'Brien]

Hello,

I realize most of us are familiar with the foods we should never give our
dogs. But here's a brief article just in case. I know I used to give my
first couple of dogs grapes occasionally as I didn't know any better. I
enjoy giving my dog treats when I'm eating them, such as a bit of apple and
baby carrots. I think if your dog is at a healthy weight, and doesn't become
obsessed with going after food in public, then what's the harm? Of course I
would never give any food when at the table.

Have a great weekend!
Sherrill


Harmful Foods for Dogs | Cesar Millan
DOG CAREHarmful Foods for Dogs

By Dr. Sherry Weaver
We all love our pets. For many of us, one way we show that love is through
special treats such as human food. As long as we don't overindulge our loved
ones into obesity, these little treats can be fun for both pet and parent.
However, it is important to realize that dogs and cats are very different
from
humans in some very important ways, which can result in tragedies for the
uninformed parent.


1. Xylitol
One of the newest and easily available human foods toxic to dogs, is
xylitol.
Xylitol is present in products from gums to sugar free cookies. When
ingested in
relatively small amounts, this sweetener can result in low blood sugar,
seizures, liver failure and death. These symptoms can show up as quickly as
30
minutes or as long as 12 hours after ingestion, and treatment must be quick
and
aggressive or they can be fatal.
2. Grapes and raisins
Grapes and raisins have been found recently to induce kidney failure in some
animals. This failure can be permanent and life threatening. It does not
seem to
relate to the volume ingested, and not all animals seem to be equally
susceptible. Although some dogs have been eating grapes for years, the safe
course is to avoid grapes and raisins completely.
3. Chocolate
Due to articles such as this, many people are now aware of chocolate's
toxicity
in dogs and cats. With the recent popularity of chocolates that are 60 and
70
percent cocoa, this risk has become much more serious. Dark chocolates have
always been more toxic than milk chocolates, and these newer chocolates are
even
more so. Toxic doses of chocolate can cause abnormal heartbeats, kidney
failure
and death. The toxic dose is dependant on weight, so little dogs are at
higher
risk, but with the higher levels of cocoa in chocolate products now even
bigger
dogs are at risk.
4. Onions
Onions are tasty for our pets as well as us, but too many onions can be
dangerous. High levels of onion ingestion in dogs and cats can cause
life-threatening anemia.
After Exposure Act Quickly
With any toxic exposure, minutes count so knowing what to do can save a
life.
Most importantly, you should have the phone number of poison control, your
regular veterinary and an after-hours hospital posted in your home. It is
best
to wait until you reach poison control before you do anything but usually
you
will be told to make your pet vomit to get rid of some of the toxic
substance.
Vomiting can be induced with a teaspoon of peroxide if you don't have
ipecac.
Give the peroxide by mouth every few minutes, giving your pet a chance to
relax
between since many dogs and cats will refuse to vomit when held. Once
vomiting
occurs, or if you are unsuccessful within a few minutes, you should then
seek
professional help from a qualified veterinarian. Be sure to have an idea of
how
much of the substance your pet ingested and how long ago it happened.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
National Hotline: 888-426-4435
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Copyright 2013 Cesar Millan, Inc. All rights reserved.