Common Household Items Can Make Dangerous Dog Food
Did you know that common food for you can be dangerous dog food for fido? When feeding your dog table scraps or even when letting him loose around the house there’s some things you should be aware of to insure his health and safety.
To keep your pet from danger, be sure that your family members and guests refrain from feeding fido anything that is not approved by you. Some foods that are quite commonly eaten by humans can have life threatening affects on pets. If you think your dog has eaten a food that can be toxic, get him to a vet right away – it could be the difference between life and death.
Read the article below to find out what kinds of foods can put your dog in danger.
Title: Things You should never feed your Dog
Author: A.M. Wilmont
Unfortunately, there are a number of household items which we
tend to take for granted that are potentially very dangerous to
your dog's health. It is especially important to be aware of
this because as you know, dogs are essentially scavengers and
will often eat just about anything they can sink their fangs
into. I would say that may own dog is more like a mobile garbage
disposal. It is also very important to be aware of these items
since their sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch
will be able to find what you may think is well hidden.
One
of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is simple
chocolate. While chocolate has been reported recently to be high
in human-friendly antioxidants, it appears to be potentially
lethal for our pets, and particularly for our dogs. Cats are
mostly unaffected since they do not care for the taste of
chocolate, but dogs tend to be crazy about it. Certain breeds of
dogs react indifferently to chocolate. The root of the problem
is that chocolate contains various chemicals which are called
methylxanthine alkaloids(sometypes have more of these chemicals
than others) Sadly, relatively miniscule amounts of these
chemicals are capable of causing such serious problems as
constriction of the arteries and an increased heart rate. Large
amounts may cause even more dire symptoms and a pound of milk
chocolate could possibly kill a sixteen pound dog. If you find
that your dog has eaten chocolate then by all means take note of
the it's type and try to estimate the amount eaten. Then get on
the phone with a veternarian or an emergency facility. Be sure
that your children know how important it is to keep chocolate
out of your dog’s reach. If you are not aware that your dog has
consumed chocolate, the consequences could be severe. If
consumption is not found within 4 to 6 hours without the right
treatment, cardiac failure, seizures, coma and death could
result, according to veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks.
In
addition to seemingly innocent chocolate, there are a number of
other common household items that may seem safe for our dogs but
that can be downright dangerous.
Some mushrooms, for example, can produce abdominal pain, liver
andd kidney damage and amenia. So be aware of wild mushrooms
when you are out walking your dog in wooded areas. Garlic may
seem benign but can cause vomiting, liver damage, anemia and
diarrhea so do not give your pet baby food since it can contain
garlic. Anti-freeze can shut down your dog's kidney and they
tend to love the taste. Miscletoe can cause vomiting, abdominal
pain and depression. Onions can causeliver damage, anemia and
diarrhea. Onion can also sometimes be found in baby food. Cats
are actually somewhat more sensitive to this one so keep out of
the reach of both. Coffee, like cocoa, is especially dangerous,
and may cause heart rate increase, diarrhea, seizures, coma,
death. Caffeine just does not have the same effect in dogs. When
outside be careful around apple and cherry trees. While the
fruit is safe, the leaves and roots are not. And be very careful
about Moth Balls. it's primary chemical naphthalene is extremely
toxic to dogs and can result in tremors and seizures.
Concerning dog food, you should be looking for dyes and other
chemicals, according to Dr. Jane BHA, for instance, which is one
of the main synthetic antioxidant preservatives used to prevent
food discoloration, has been observed to cause cancer in
laboratory rats at certain doses. Small doses are as yet unclear
but since dog food is eaten every day caution is advised. Many
conventional dog food brands have large quantities of sodium to
make them palatable, and this can be quite harmful to a dog.
Other ingredients to wary of are dairy, by-products, chemical
preservatives and artificial colors. For more information go to
Dog Food Nutrition from Life's
Abundance
About the author:
Aaron Wilmont is an author and researcher in the fields of human
and pet health. For more info. go to Dog Supplements and Vitamins from
Life's Abundance
Of Interest
Find out how to avoid dangerous dog food by buying the most nutritious foods for your pet.
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