For those of you who don't know me, which is probably most of you, my name is Karolina & I am sort of obsessed with animals. My hope for this blog is to post random tid bits of information about them. :] Now, I don't particularly have a preference; I love the furry, the four-legged, the scaly, and even the hairless, with that I hope to post information about them all.
I won't take credit for everything I will post and I will obviously give credit where credit is due. What I'd like is to offer readers a chance to read, laugh, critique, and hopefully learn something about my one true love: animals. :]
With that, here's my first thing I'd like to talk about:
DANGEROUS FOOD FOR DOGS!
Most new dog owners or even long time dog owners do not know about the dangers that exist within our pantry or fridge. While some of the food we shovel into our mouths is not particularly the best for US, some can be deadly to our pets.
Here's a list and snippet of an article I found on PETFINDER.com
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"THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM PETFINDER.COM’S THE ADOPTED DOG BIBLE
Sometimes it seems like dogs are little garbage disposals dressed in fur. Dogs are scavengers by nature, so they are likely to try to get their teeth into things they shouldn’t. And they are omnivores, which means they will munch on just about anything — from roadkill to garbage to the contents of the cat’s litterbox. Yuck!
While some things will just leave a bad taste in your dog’s mouth, there are other common foods that can be very dangerous, and even fatal, if ingested. These include:
- Alcohol
- Avocados
- Chocolate (all types)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Garlic
- Grapes and raisins
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions or onion powder
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Xylitol (sweetener)
In addition, avoid feeding your dog bones (especially small, soft bones such as those from chickens and pork chops) as they can splinter and cause injury to the mouth, throat, and intestines. "
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I've been a veterinary assistant for over three years and have seen some interesting things in the clinic. Those puppy dog eyes your pooch gives you could be fatal to him and heartbreaking for you. Alcohol might seem like the only item on the list that is obvious, but do not overlook the others! Xylitol is especially dangerous and is found in chewing gum such as Trident and Spry. According to AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), "Dogs ingesting large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol may have a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination, and seizures..."
And lastly, something not mentioned on that short list: raw food. Another small quote from AVMA, "[We] discourage the feeding to cats and cats of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans. Cooking or pasteurization through the application of heat until the protein reaches an internal temperature adequate to destroy pathogenic organisms has been the traditional method used to eliminate pathogens in animal-source protein although the AVMA recognizes that newer technologies and other methods such as irradiation are constantly being developed and implemented".
:] Let me know if I missed anything or you're interested in more information! Thanks for reading!
