Sunday, March 22, 2009

Chocolate kills dogs ... but it's not the only thing!




Fortunately, the title of this post is not an announcement of a deceased pooch, although it possibly could have been! Last night, HH and I watched a movie and enjoyed the last of the (unfrozen) chocolate cake. I couldn't eat my whole piece and so had it sitting on the table to finish later. After the movie ended, I went to the bathroom and in the short time I was out of the room, Callie had jumped up on the table and gulped down said piece of cake. Not only was I upset that what she ate included my favorite part, the part with the frosting, I was also aware that this part of the cake was the most chocolatey ... so after some searching and realizing that my syrup of ipecac was basically an empty bottle, I dug out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and went to work making Callie, um, dispose of the contents of her stomach before they were absorbed into her bloodstream.

In light of that, here's a public service announcement; two actually. First, a video showing how to make a dog throw up using hydrogen peroxide (since that's usually something people have around; salt water can also do the trick ... yeah, I've made my fair share of dogs throw up in my life!)


How to Make a Dog Vomit -- powered by ExpertVillage.com


Secondly, a list of foods that are bad for dogs ... I post it here because it contains a few unexpected items (I used to feed Migo the raisins from my trail mix since I always think the raisin-chocolate ratio is too high!). There are other lists out there, too that mention things like raw eggs, but I think this list is probably the best/most thorough:

Alcoholic Beverages: Any type of alcohol can be poisonous to your pet and aside from intoxication, can cause a coma or even death.

Apple Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Apricot Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Avocado - ? 1/7/2008: Kathleen from Grand Rapids, MI writes: "I was told that avacados are not good for dogs is that true?"

Cherry Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Candy containing the sweetener Xylitol: Can cause liver damage and even death.

Chocolate
: Although pets should never have any type of chocolate, milk chocolate is not nearly as dangerous for animals as semi-sweet or unsweetened bakers chocolate. Chocolate poisoning can cause irregular heart rate and rhythm, restlessness, hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, panting, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, bloody urine, increased body temperature, seizures, coma and possibly even death.

Coffee: Can result in increased breathing and heart rate, restlessness and affects the central nervous system.

Grapes: Large amounts of grapes can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Hops: May cause panting, elevated temperature, increased heart rate, seizures and possibly death.

Macadamia Nuts: Can cause vomiting, lethargy, hyperthermia, abdominal pain, stiff joints, lameness and tremors.

Moldy Foods: Can have varied effects on pets including vomiting and diarrhea.

Mushrooms: Different types of mushrooms can have varied effects on pets such as, depression, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, tearing, hallucinations, defecation, liver failure, seizures, drooling, urination, kidney failure, heart damage, hyperactivity and in some cases, death.

Mustard Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Onions and Onion Powder: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Peach Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Potato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Raisins: Large amounts of raisins can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Rhubarb Leaves: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Salt: In large quantities can cause electrolyte imbalances.

Tea: Can have varied effects in pets.

Tomato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Walnuts: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as respiratory issues such as sneezing, breathing and coughing.

Yeast Dough: Can be dangerous as it will expand and result in gas, pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have heard that the reason chocolate is so bad for dogs is that it contains arsenic in amounts which humans can handle but a dog is not able to handle the same amount. I accumulates in their syste. I sure it does in ours as well. I am also sure the chocolate insdustry does not want this information on the loose