Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Do Not Eat - Can Be Dangerous To Your Health

Valentine's Day is over; and if your house is like most, that means there is chocolate in the house.
 My pal Elvis (of Lets Be Pets) told me he got into his human sister's chocolate on Valentine's day.  Fortunately, he has a very strong tummy, and didn't eat enough to get sick.
Photo provided by Elvis's human.


 The timing struck me as funny, in an ironic way, because my Nutro pals had recently posted a list of human foods that dogs should avoid.  You know chocolate was on the list!  The list (in green) was compiled by Animal Planet
  1. Xylitol (an artificial sweetener used in a number of products)
  2. Macadamia Nuts
  3. Yeast Dough
  4. Grapes, Raisins and Currents
  5. Caffeine and Chocolate
  6. Alcohol
  7. Avocado
  8. Onions and Garlic
  9. Bones and Raw Meat
  10. Milk and other dairy products (lactose)

That dangerous Xylitol is one more good reason for me to ride in my pouch!
 I hear that Xylitol is particularly toxic.  It is in many sugarless gums, which humans spit on the ground where a curious dog can find it.  I guess that gum that stuck on my paw a few years ago wasn't the sugarless kind.  Whew!  It was a mess!!  Mom pulled and cut off as much as she could.  It ended up coated in dirt from me walking with it on my paw.  I chewed at it for several days.   Eventually, my paw fur grew long enough to cut the rest of it off.   Maybe humans should have tiny rolls of bags for gum, just like the way dogs have poop bags!  BOL! 

Please don't spit gum on the ground, it is toxic and more difficult to clean off of a paw (or a shoe) than poop!

Have you ever eaten any of the items on the list?  Did you get sick?


 Disclaimer: "This post was written by a Nutro Knowledge Network member and sponsored by the Nutro Company."

7 comments:

  1. I believe in #1-4 but the rest of them are safe but not at high levels. Our vet even recommended giving one cube of avocado to to Jenny Sue every day for her skin. As long as it is peeled and not the seed its fine. Also why would they list no raw meat when so many are on the raw diet?

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    1. BOL!! Pawsonally I agree with 5 & 6 also. BOL!! However, the others are more controversial, I suspect. I have eaten a bite or two of raw beef and didn't get sick. Many vets have concerns about the germs in raw meats. All bones have a possibility of sharp edges or blockages I guess, yet many dogs appear to thrive on a raw diet. (The raw success stories I hear most typically involve breeds closer in appearance to our wolf ancestors - Husky and German Shepard) I suppose it depends on the dog, owner, and vet involved. The onions and garlic have something to do with anemia and kidney function, I think. I adore cheese, I don't know if it has lactose in it though. Mom is lactose intolerant and she eats tons of cheese, but a little milk will make her very ill. I am not a vet or a nutritionist, my opinions are based on things I've read, heard, or experienced. I would think that educated, cautious owners who know the acceptable amounts and forms are much different than the average pet owner who may give too much of a potentially dangerous substance, or give the incorrect form of it. Then there are the dumpster diving dogs to consider, the ones who would probably eat the pits, skins, etc... and need emergency veterinary care. I choose to err on the side of caution when in doubt.
      Hugs,
      Pepper

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    2. I was gonna say what you said, Pepper! Mommy hears different things about garlic, fur instance. So the important things are to 1) ask your vet and 2) know your pet!

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  2. Some of these stay away items I knew but some I had no idea thanks for posting Pepper! You look adorable in your pouch btw. Would love if you entered my ancient dogs contest one time!

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  3. Pepper we stay away from all except the cheese we love cheese but we don't get it often just once in awhile.

    Sorry to hear you had a mess with the gum getting stuck to your paw and we wish humans would throw it in a trash can and not just spit it out on the ground for us to get into or step in.

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  4. First of all, Pepper is BEEEAAUTIFUL! Everything on that list we knew except, dairy. Boo hoo - I LUVS cheese!! I see many others here enjoy their fromage too! I get a small piece of cheese almost daily! It's a nite-time treat. My tummy is good & sturdy - thank goodness...rarely gets runny poopies.

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  5. Years ago when I was just a girl, my dog Cassie ate a whole box of my chocolates. I didn't know at the time that chocolate could be deadly so I didn't do anything about it. She had diarrhea but was otherwise okay. Later when I learned it could have killed her, I also learned that milk chocolate (which is what she ate) is not as harmful as dark chocolate or brownies or cake which have pure cocoa powder in it.

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