[nagdu] 8 things you should never feed your dog or cat

[Raven Tolliver]

Garlic is definitely safe for your dog! In fact, garlic is medicinal,
and it has antibiotic and anti-parasitic properties. Many people in
the NR community give their dogs garlic as a pest repellent. I don't
use garlic for those purposes, but I definitely don't leave it out
when I give my dog bone broth.
The research:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/
Garlic For Dogs: Poison Or Medicine?
by Andrea Partee
When it comes to garlic, most dog owners are divided on their opinion.
A few years ago I wrote about garlic on my website and was pleased
when several people thanked me for telling the truth. And then there
was this guy who told me I was going to be responsible for the death
of hundreds of dogs, if not thousands because I was an idiot. I
thanked him for his opinion since we are all entitled to have one, but
it bothered me a lot.
Yes, I promote the use of garlic. Fresh, aromatic, organic garlic with
a smell that lingers in the kitchen promising either a good meal or a
good heal.So why do I go against AVMA warnings and give garlic to my
dogs? I do it because common sense and an objective look at both the
risks and benefits of garlic tell me it can provide great benefits to
dogs with minimal risk. Remember, AMVA (American Medical Veterinary
Association) members also think that raw food is unhealthy and would
rather dogs eat a processed, chemical laden diet than fresh, raw
free-range chicken or vitamin packed green tripe.
Why the controversy over garlic?
The primary reason AVMA is against feeding garlic is that it contains
thiosulphate, which can cause hemolytic anemia, liver damage and
death. However garlic only contains very small traces of thiosulphate
and a dog would have to consume a huge quantity for any negative
effects. Using Tylenol (acetaminophen) or benzocaine topical ointments
to stop itching are far more likely to cause anemia in dogs.
Garlic's medicinal properties
There are many health benefits to feeding garlic. Here are some things
you might not know about this healthy herb:
* Garlic is a natural antibiotic and won't affect the good bacteria in
the gut which are needed for digestion and immune health
* Garlic is antifungal
* Garlic is antiviral
* Garlic boosts the immune system
* Garlic makes dogs less desirable to fleas
* Garlic is antiparasitic
What kind of garlic?
I stick with fresh, raw organic garlic and keep it on hand as a staple
for both cooking and healing. If it's fresh, I know the medicinal
qualities are still there, unlike minced garlic which may originate in
China and sit for months in a jar. Powdered garlic doesn't cut it
either. Kyolic Aged Liquid Garlic is a good choice if you don't want
to smash and cut every day.
How much garlic to feed
You can safely give a 1/2 clove per ten pounds of body weight each
day, chopped or grated. Two cloves maximum per day for a large dog is
a good guideline.
* 1/2 clove for a 10 + pounds
* 1 clove for a 20 + pounds
* 1 1/2 cloves for 30 + pounds
* 2 cloves for 40 + pounds
My dogs are over 70 pounds but I stick with the 2 cloves.
Garlic tips
For optimum health benefits, let garlic sit for 5 to 10 minutes after
cutting and before serving (or cooking). This allows the
health-promoting allicin to form, so it's worth the wait.
To get rid of the smell on your hands, rinse them under water while
rubbing them with a stainless steel spoon! I don't know why it works,
but bless the woman who told me this long ago.
A great home remedy recipe
An ear medicine I've kept on hand for years started out when my kids
got 'swimmers ear' one summer. It's simple to make and since garlic is
an antibiotic, antibacterial, and antifungal it covers several
possibilities.
Crush 2 cloves fresh garlic; wait ten minutes and add them to 1/3 cup
olive oil. Heat in a pan (do NOT boil) for several minutes. Let cool.
Strain and store in a glass bottle with a dropper and apply it
directly in the ears.
The only possible drawback to this remedy is every time I smell it I
want pasta and garlic bread!

And another article for your enjoyment:
Garlic: Friend Or Foe?
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-friend-or-foe/

On 11/29/14, Nicole Torcolini via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Then why do some dog foods contain garlic?
>
> Nicole
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Becky
> Frankeberger via nagdu
> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 11:08 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: [nagdu] 8 things you should never feed your dog or cat
>
> 8 Things You Should Never Feed to Dogs and Cats Cliff Weathers Alterationet
> November 10, 2014 Who knew that a few sticks of sugar-free gum could kill
> your dog?
>
> Evidently many people don't but the veterinarians who spoke to Alterationet
> tell us they're seeing more animals coming in with hypoglycemia after
> eating
> as little as a stick. And even if the animal's blood sugar returns to
> normal, there's quite a bit of concern that liver damage, and possibly
> death, may follow.
>
> "It's not just dogs, it's cats as well," says Maureen Saunders,
> owner/director of the Spring Valley Animal Hospital and Cat Care Clinic of
> the Nyacks. "And it's important to get the word out there, so people know
> to
> watch for this."
>
> Many of us tend to think that dogs and cats can eat what humans eat. We
> often don't think twice about giving them a bite of our cookie or worry too
> much when they scavenge for food. But dogs and cats don't metabolize foods
> the same way we do, and many of the foods we eat without problems can hurt,
> and even kill them. Here are eight of the most harmful foods to keep away
> from your pets.
>
> *1. Xylitol.* One of the more ubiquitous sweeteners in sugar-free products,
> xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in the fibers of many
> fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. It's typically extracted from hardwoods
> and corn cobs for commercial use and found in sugarless gum, toothpaste and
> many low-calorie baked goods.
>
> While xylitol has no known toxicity in humans, just a few sticks of
> sugar-free gum scavenged by a 20-pound dog can cause its insulin levels to
> spike and send it into hypoglycemia. Ingesting higher amounts of xylitol
> can
> create serious liver problems including acute hepatic necrosis, leading to
> death. Cats are also susceptible to xylitol poisoning.
>
> Sometimes vomiting occurs soon after ingestion, followed by hypoglycemia
> within the next hour. At this point, the animal may act lethargic and lose
> coordination as a result of lowered sugar levels. Elevated liver enzymes
> and
> liver failure can be seen within a few short days. If caught within the
> first few hours and taken to a veterinary clinic, many pets can be nursed
> back to health by inducing vomiting and perhaps the administration of
> dextrose.
>
> 2. Chocolatedd* Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, is said to have
> many health benefits for humans, from lowering the risk of cardiovascular
> disease to reversing age-related memory loss. However, one chocolate bar
> can
> be deadly to a dog or a cat.
>
> Chocolate, along with coffee and some soda drinks, contains compounds known
> as methylxanthines . When pets ingest foods with these compounds, they may
> display signs of hyperactivity, discomfort or excessive thirst. Often,
> these
> symptoms give way to abnormal heart rhythms, seizures and even death.
> Baking
> chocolate and dark chocolates, which contain more of these compounds, are
> far more dangerous than milk chocolate or white chocolate.
>
> *3. Avocados.* Guacamole is a staple dip in many households, and we might
> think it's harmless to let our pet lick the bowl when we're done. But the
> avocado fruit contains persin, a fungicidal toxin. While it is harmless to
> humans (with the exception of those with avocado allergies), when consumed
> by dogs and cats it can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
>
> Birds, and rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs are especially
> sensitive
> to avocado poisoning and can develop congestion, difficulty breathing, and
> fluid accumulation around the heart. Larger amounts of ingested avocado can
> create similar symptoms in cats and dogs and even cause death.
>
> *4. Macadamia nuts.* Dog owners should be especially mindful not to feed
> cookies, especially store-bought ones you might not know the ingredients
> of,
> to their pets.
>
> Beyond typical macadamia nut cookies, other flavors of commercial cookies
> and even some brownies and cakes contain macadamia powder as an ingredient.
>
> Veterinarians are still not quite sure why, but macadamia nuts are known to
> cause vomiting, ataxia, tremors and hypothermia in dogs, though they don't
> seem to have the same effect on cats and other domestic animals. Dr.
>
> Saunders says the results can be life-threatenin g and that elderly dogs
> may
> be more at risk.
>
> Dogs typically develop these signs between 12 and 48 hours after ingestion.
>
> Vets
>
> recommend that asymptomatic dogs should be treated with activated charcoal,
> while those who become ill should immediately be taken to a vet clinic
> where
> treatment may include fluids, analgesics and antipyretics.
>
> *5. Grapes and raisins.* The veterinary community has recently put out the
> word that grapes are highly toxic to dogs and cats.
>
> "We didn't know about this until a few years ago, but eating grapes and
> raisins can lead to acute kidney failure in pets," says Dr. Saunders.
>
> "Unfortunately,  we're still not sure why some animals can tolerate them
> and
> others cannot."
>
> The
>
> ASPCA believes that pets who already have the one of a variety of health
> conditions may have more dramatic reactions to grape ingestion.
>
> *6. Yeast dough.* The yeast in uncooked bread dough can rise in a pet's
> digestive system and cause high amounts of gas to accumulate. This can
> cause
> an animal's stomach or intestines to rupture, possibly leading to a painful
> death.
>
> While the ASCPA says that the risk is much lower for pets when the dough
> has
> been cooked and fully risen, it can also cause problems. The organization
> recommends that bread-based treats should be no more than 10% of a pet's
> caloric intake.
>
> *7. Onions and garlic.* "For cats, this is a major issue," says Dr.
>
> Saunders, who
>
> says she's seen several serious cases of onion poisoning. "People might
> think it's okay if they're cooking stew to give some to their pets, but
> that's actually a real problem for them."
>
> It's not just cats-a dog's health can also be put at risk by onion
> ingestion. In both animals, the compunds thiosulfate and allyl propyl
> disulfide found in onions work to oxidize an oxygen-transpor ting protein
> called hemoglobin in the blood, making it less capable of carrying oxygen
> throughout the body.
>
> All members of the allium family, which includes garlic, shallots and
> scallions, contain these compounds, which can wreak havoc on a pet's red
> blood cells, if eaten in large enough amounts. Garlic tends to be much more
> toxic than the common onion.
>
> Also, garlic and onion powders, typical ingredients in many soups, baby
> food
> and meat sauces, can be quiet killers.
>
> The veterinarians we spoke to say that symptoms typically don't show up
> immediately, but eventually the animal becomes lethargic and there can be
> some physical changes, such as pale gums and dark-colored urine. In the
> most
> severe cases of onion poisoning, a blood transfusion might be needed to
> save
> the animal's life.
>
> *8. Marijuana edibles.* Legal for either recreational or medical use in
> several states, marijuana is often sold in more potent forms, including
> edibles that taste much like some foods we would typically eat.
>
> Tina Wismer, of the Animal Poison Control Center told NBC News that animals
> don't react to the tetrahydrocanna binol in cannabis the same way humans
> do.
>
> "Without treatment, they can go into comas and die," she says, noting that
> edibles may be even more lethal if they also contain chocolate or raisins.
>
> A 2012 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical
> Care found that marijuana ingestion of baked goods that contain
> medical-grade THC butter can kill a dog. The researchers looked into 125
> cases of dogs ingesting marijuana between
>
> 2005 and 2010 and found that it resulted in two deaths. Both dogs
> asphyxiated on their own vomit.
>
> Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, veterinarians in the state say
> they've seen some dogs die from ingestion. Ashley Harmon, a veterinarian at
> Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency and Rehabilitation,  told a local
> newspaper that one dog died after eating a pound of pot brownies while
> another ate a pound of pot butter. Pet owners who use marijuana edibles in
> their homes must exercise caution and keep these items securely packaged
> and
> out of reach of dogs and cats.
>
> ininOther Home Toxins*
>
> Dr. Saunders says that while pet poisoning from foods is a serious problem,
> there are many other common home items our pets shouldn't come in contact
> with.
>
> "One of the biggest problems I see is people trying to help their pet with
> medicines to treat them. They often do that by giving them Tylenol, but
> they
> end up giving them inappropriate doses," says Saunders. "This is especially
> a problem I see with older dogs. Pepto Bismol is given to dogs, but the
> aspirin in it is a major issue with cats."
>
> Dr. Saunders says that people should pay particular attention to where they
> store antifreeze, which contains ethylene glycol. Its sweet smell and taste
> are attractive to pets as well as wildlife. Antifreeze is deadly when
> consumed.
>
> Even certain flowers can cause a problem in the home. "Some types of lilies
> are a real issue with cats," she says.
>
> If your pet suddenly becomes ill and you know or suspect it has eaten any
> foods in this article, Dr. Saunders suggests you immediately contact the
> ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. Also, find out where
> the
> emergency veterinary clinic is in your area and keep its address and phone
> number clearly posted on your fridge in case of emergencies.
>
>
>
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-- 
Raven
Stop being a victim, and choose to be a victor.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
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