Monday, November 18, 2013

Your Dog Should Never Eat These 5 Things

Guest Post

Dogs should never eat chocolate, but do you know why? It contains theobromine, a toxin that can cause dehydration and death. Along with chocolate, make sure your pooch also stays away from the following hazardous things.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener found in candy, gum and even toothpaste. Xylitol can lower your dog's blood sugar and possibly induce liver failure.

Vomiting, listlessness and coordination problems are early indications of a potential issue, and seizures are a possibility later. Even small amounts of xylitol found in baked goods and diet products could harm your dog.

Insects

Insects? That's right. Those creepy crawlers pose more of a risk than you may think. Stinging insects may pierce your dog after being swallowed causing a swollen face or other reaction. Allergy medications often treat the issue and your dog will likely learn his lesson quickly.

Other bugs pose a more serious risk, and caterpillars are the main culprits. Before turning into monarch butterflies, caterpillars feed on milkweed, which can be toxic to your dog's heart. Gypsy moth larva can also threaten your dog because of its poisonous injections. Schedule a pest inspection to eliminate these natural dangers and create a safe environment.

Pits & Seeds

The "meat" of apples, peaches, plums, and persimmons aren't bad for your dog. Apple seeds and pits from peaches and plums, however, release cyanide during digestion. The pits of persimmons, peaches and plums can cause intestinal inflammation or obstruction danger to your dog. Never leave these fruits out where your dog could get them, unless their pits or cores have been removed. If you have these fruit trees in your yard, be vigilant and monitor your dog's feces for seeds and pits.

Raw Fish

Many types of uncooked fish pose health risks to canines. A regular diet of raw fish can cause a vitamin B deficiency, resulting in a drop in appetite, seizures and possibly death. Trout, salmon, sturgeon, and other types of fish contain a parasite that can be fatal within two weeks. Vomiting, high temperature and enlarged lymph nodes are signs of health problems.

Alcohol

The smallest amounts of alcohol can harm your dog's liver and brain. It doesn't take much for your dog to experience diarrhea, vomiting and central nervous system issues. Even a little drink of beer, wine or liquor can affect coordination and result in coma or death.

Yeast is another dangerous source of alcohol. Consumed on its own or within dough, yeast can ferment inside your dog's stomach and cause alcohol poisoning. It also poses the risk of rising, as it would in bread, inside your dog's stomach, possibly stretching the organ and rupturing.

TDLW NOTE: If you suspect your pet has gotten into a harmful substance here are some hotlines you can call for help:

ASPCA Animal Poison Control -- 1-888-426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline -- 1-800-213-6680

Guest post by Minne Garza
Minnie is a writer an animal advocate who enjoys hiking with her golden retrievers on the weekends. 

13 comments:

  1. Always good to be reminded and we did not know about the raw fish. Good post.
    Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  2. Sometimes we have eaten a caterpillar but otherwise we avoid those things on your list. As for alcohol, we have our Bowser Beer for dogs ;)

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  3. I knew of all of these except insects. In general, my dogs don't care for insects. But when those huge locusts were buzzing around, Maya chomped on a few. I think it was mostly about the chase, though, and not the eating of.

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  4. Wow - this is great! There's a lot here I didn't know - will be sharing this on my FB page!

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  5. I came across something perplexing about Xylitol the other day. Someone commented on my blog that their vet recommended the CET water additive to help keep their dog's teeth clean. I looked it up and the third ingredient is Xylitol! Apparently it is in a lot of dental products. A questioned her because I found Xylitol as an ingredient to be shocking because it is known to be harmful to dogs. She said her vet didn't mention anything about it but that he/she probably wasn't concerned because, mixed with water, it was a really low dose. Maybe but I still think it's a confusing, mixed message - Xylitol poisonous but in dog dental products??

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  6. They can, however, chow down FunPak Dog Bone packaging without worry. Ask your vet how many times they have to conduct emergency surgery to remove Styrofoam peanuts from cats and dogs.

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  7. @theFunPak posted the previous. Hit publish too soon.

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  8. I had no idea it was bad for dogs to eat insects! I'll have to watch my dog more closely. He loves being outside, and I'm sure has tried to eat his fair share of little bugs. www.beelinepestcontrol.com

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