Things NOT to feed your dogs.

[Mike Leonard]

y, May 14, 2008 9:50 AM
Subject: FW: People foods that can kill your pet


> 'People foods' that can kill your pet
> From chocolate to raisins, here's what not to feed Fido - even if he
> begs
> By Sloan Barnett
> TODAYShow.com contributor
> updated 2:07 p.m. MT, Fri., May. 9, 2008
> It feels good to treat your pet to human food every once in a while.
> Those puppy-dog eyes are hard to resist as they watch you eat and try
> to convince you that they are starving! It makes you want to give them
> a taste of everything you eat. But beware: Giving in to those eyes and
> giving dogs human foods can actually harm them.
> In 2007, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center received more than
> 130,000 calls. Most cases of animal poisoning were caused by common
> human foods and household items.
> Many foods we enjoy can be dangerous to animals. It's best to stick to
> pet food and a diet recommended by your vet. Here are a few of the
> most toxic foods that can harm your pet:

> Bad news foods
> Avocados
> They contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart,
> lung and other tissue in many animals. This fruit is very toxic to
> dogs, cats and most animals.

> Beer
> Alcoholic beverages can cause the same damage to an animal's liver and
> brain as they cause in humans. But the effects can be deadly on
> animals since they are much smaller than us. The smaller the animal,
> the more deadly the effects can be. Even a small amount of alcohol may
> cause vomiting and damage the liver and brain.

> Nuts
> Walnuts and macadamia nuts are especially toxic. Effects can be
> anything from vomiting to paralysis to death. Within 12 hours of
> eating the nuts, pets start to develop symptoms such as an inability
> to stand or walk, vomiting, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature),
> weakness, and an elevated heart rate. These symptoms can be even worse
> if your dog eats some chocolate with the nuts. The effect can cause
> kidney failure, often leading to death.

> Chocolate
> Chocolate contains theobromine, which can kill your pet if eaten in
> large quantities. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are
> especially dangerous. Giving your pup a piece of chocolate cake or
> even letting him lick the chocolate icing on the cake could cause him
> to become ill. Theobromine can also cause a dog or cat's heart to beat
> very rapidly or irregularly, which could result in death if the pet is
> exercising or overly active.

> Candy
> Candy or anything containing Xylitol (a common sweetener found in some
> diet products) can cause a sudden drop in an animal's blood sugar,
> loss of coordination and seizures. If left untreated, the animal could
> die.

> Caffeine
> Coffee, tea or any product that contains caffeine stimulates an
> animal's central nervous and cardiac systems. This can lead to
> restlessness, heart palpitations and death, depending on how much the
> animal consumes.
> Grapes and raisins
> Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. As little as a
> single serving of raisins can kill them. And the effects are
> cumulative, which means that even if a dog eats just one or two grapes
> or raisins regularly, the toxin that builds in his system will
> eventually kill him.

> Onions
> Onions are another common food that can be highly toxic to pets. They
> can destroy an animal's red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness
> and breathing difficulties. Their effects are also cumulative over
> time.

> Medicine
> Hide medicine from your pets just like you would from your children.
> The most common cause of pet poisoning is from animals ingesting a
> medicine or drug normally prescribed for humans.
> And this is not just because furry pals are getting into their pet
> parent's medicine cabinets. In many cases, pet owners give their
> feline and canine friends an over-the-counter medication to ease an
> animal's pain. But acetaminophen and ibuprofen, the active ingredients
> in many common pain relievers, are extremely toxic to dogs and cats.
> They can cause gastric ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and
> sometimes death.

> Good news foods
> There are a few things that you CAN give to your furry pal. However,
> you should always consult a veterinarian before introducing a new food
> item to your pet.
> Although these foods are normally harmless, some animals have
> sensitive gastrointestinal tracts. So even these healthy treats should
> be avoided if they cause gastrointestinal upset for your pet. Keep in
> mind that these and other "extras" should not make up more than 5 to
> 10 percent of the pet's daily caloric intake.

> Lean meats
> Any cooked lean meat should be fine for most dogs. High-fat meats,
> chicken skin and fat from steaks or roasts are not recommended.
> Ingestion may lead to gastrointestinal upset or even pancreatitis.
> This can be a very painful condition for dogs. In addition, most
> companion animals do not need extra fat in their diets. Never give
> your pet meat with the bone in it. Animals can choke on the bones, and
> they can splinter as well.

> Vegetables
> Carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber slices and zucchini slices are
> all OK.
> Fruit
> Apple slices, orange slices, bananas and watermelon are all OK. Make
> sure the seeds have been taken out; seeds are not good for your pet!

> Baked potatoes
> Plain baked potatoes are fine, but make sure they are cooked - no
> unripe potatoes or potato plants.

> Bread
> Plain cooked bread is fine; just make sure there are no nuts or
> raisins added.

> Rice and pasta
> Plain, cooked pasta and white rice are OK. Often veterinarians
> recommend plain rice with some boiled chicken when gastrointestinal
> upset is present.

> In case of emergency
> Despite all the precautions you take to keep your pet pals safe,
> accidents do happen. That's why the ASPCA, Humane Society and animal
> advocates advise pet owners to keep the telephone numbers of their
> local veterinarian and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center - (888)
> 426-4435 - in a prominent location.
> Common signs of poisoning include muscle tremors or seizures; vomiting
> and diarrhea; drooling; redness of skin, ears and eyes; and swelling
> and bleeding.
> If you suspect your pet has consumed, inhaled or come in contact with
> a toxic substance, stay calm and call for help immediately. If you see
> your pet consuming anything you think might be toxic, seek emergency
> help immediately even if she or he is not exhibiting any symptoms.
>

[Majestic Tree Hound]

I gess they have never seen a couple of wolfs eating on a month old dead Moose ... Or a Yote peeling a Porkey off the road.. Yuk

[Grzyadms4x4]

It makes me wonder how those poor little poochies ever got along without us humans to feed them "safe" dog food. Give me a break.

[bearcat]

I've seen my dogs eat just about anything, especially if its been out long enough to get ripe. But the one that caught my attention was coffee. When I'm camping and make coffee I always toss out the old grounds, and every dog I own absolutely loves them, when they find whereever I tossed the coffee grounds I gurauntee they will lick the ground clean. Never thought much of it, I like coffee myself, even if people tell me it's bad for me. And never seen it affect the dogs at all.

[Kevin D]

I was rummaging through the dumpsters behind the Kwiki-mart several years ago when I came across several gallons of out-of-date milk they'd thrown out. Thinking I could cut down on my dog food bill, I replaced all my dogs water with milk.

Bad idea.

Every dog I had got a bad case of the runs.......and it was everywhere. The stench of the soured poop was so overpowering it was weeks before I could enter my dog kennels without burying my nose in my collar.

I never seen milk mentioned on your list Mike, but after my experience, is it something I'd definately include.

[Emily]

my dogs have eaten just about everything on that list without ill effects. The only thing I avoid feeding them intentionally is chocolate and alcoholic beverages although they have gotten into those. My bloodhound once ate a five pound box of gift chocolate truffles that guests had brought. We left it on the coffee table while we went into dinner, and Hector ate the whole thing including the ruffled papers. He vomited, but there were no lasting ill effects.
My hounds are housedogs and routinely lick out the dregs from my coffee cup in the morning. They eat dinner leftovers including onions. They eat all fruit including avocados and apple cores. They eat cherries pits and all. They eat bacon fat and ice cream. They eat nuts, especially pistachios and almonds.
On the other hand, my eighty pound redbone routinely gets diarrhea from his heartworm meds.
Coonhounds are big dogs with sound constitiutions. They are not inbred lapdogs. I try not to make suspect items routine parts of their diets, but I don't mollycoddle them either. And I keep an eye on them if they get into something, but I don't panic either.

[Houndswoman]

Things our dogs have eaten:

dead dried frogs
dead field mice
ground squirrels
dried up coyote carcasses
cow and horse dead piles
deer kills (pups come in looking like they ate a 50lb. sack of feed and then crap deer hair for 3 days)
almonds
fruit of all kinds
tomatoes (green and red)
cat droppings
cow and calf droppings
wild horse droppings
greasy aluminum foil
greasy plastic wrap

There is probaly more but this is what comes to mind when I was along.

Hounds are ultra tough as a rule and if anything has a cast iron stomach I suppose they do. We had a female hound that was feeling puny for about 6 months, all her blood work was within normal range and the vet said it did not appear that she was sick. Well we could tell she was not herself and waited, she never stopped eating and never ran a fever. She wanted to go hunting every day but just did not have the energy. Her last day she seemed a lot worse and would not eat, she died that day with an infection throughout her thoracic cavity. My point is she never seemed real ill other than low energy until the day she died. Hounds are Tough!

[twispcougarhunter]

Kawt my kow dawg eatin rat poison the nuther day. Didn't worry much about it kauz it don't seem ta kill the rats. Didn't kill her neether. gotta git. Bill

[uncle Brisco]

hell if my pot licker can mow threw a crock pot of week old 3 alarm chili in a few seconds that stuff wont hurt either,oh man God forbid they find out i worm the horses and muts with tobaco,lol so they can shit threw a screen and stager around for a bit it aint ever got one down,lol,heck do you think they know we do most of our own shots too?i must have a difrent kind of dog,part goat i think?
hey houndswomen,what about,
11ft of speeker cord
the side out of old dog box
the corner in the hall when we locked him up,
the leg off grandmas 100yr old coffee table,
the entire rubber feed pan
headliner out of mommas F-150
rocks
100s of feet of garden hose
fiberglass handle off mommas new shovel
and yes Mike you will love this one,
the fender off the saddle,
and this dog turned out to be a good one and he didn't die once, ok here is my list of bad food for dogs
anything flat in the road(bad breath)
beef and bean burritos(PEEEEEYOOOO)
the package of steak on the counter,rapper and all(they howl when you grab the plastic rap hangin out with pliers and have too pull)
i'll think of more latter