Doggy Dangers

Last week I wrote about taking care to keep kitty from getting poisoned.
This week its alllll about the pooch!

PLANTS
Now my dog seems more interested in digging up the plants in the yard than eating them, but you can never really tell whats going through that head of his. Some dogs who stay indoors all the time may take an interest in the houseplants. The interest they take is rarely
one that we, the pet/plant owner, appreciate.
Lets just make sure that they aren't going to make each other sick.

A great place to start is at the ASPCA website. They have a great listing of plants that are poisonous to your pets HERE, and a 24 hour emergency poison hot line to call is listed on that same page. This is a great source to be sure that your plants, both indoors and outdoors, aren't going to cause Fido any problems.




FOODS
Oh boy, my hound is a WORLD CLASS beggar.
I think its a born talent. Really, he's had no formal training, but I'm sure he could win a trophy for it, if there were such a thing. He can stare quietly at your food going from plate to mouth and give you the most pitiful "you ARE gonna save me a bite right? " look.
But we all know that human food isn't good for the pooch. Most of the time the stuff we eat isn't good for us either but that's a whoooole other topic.

Some foods are VERY dangerous for you dog. Lets look at those.

ALCOHOL
well duh! really this is mostly for you fellas out there. MEN it is not funny for your dog to get drunk. They can fall into a coma and die. Grow up, don't give your dog booze, its stupid. Same goes for marijuana. Dangerous for your dog any way you look at it, if inhaled or ingested. Seriously. Your dog is not your frat brother.

CHOCOLATE/COFFEE/TEA
anything else with caffeine in it is a BIG NONO. chocolate/caffeine toxicity

Onions, garlic (raw, cooked, or powder): causes anemia

Fish or poultry bones: Can splinter causing tears or obstructions internally.

Cat food: too high in protein and fats.

Grapes and raisins:damages the kidneys

Citrus/citrus oils: can cause vomiting

Yeast dough:expand and produce gas , causes pain and could cause internal injuries by rupturing the intestines or stomach.

Also:
Avocados, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, spoiled foods ( EWW, WHY?)

MEDICATIONS/CLEANSERS
Keep any home cleansers and personal medications out of your pets reach the same way you would for your kids.


NEVER give your pet human medications without consulting your vet FIRST!
THIS is a list of the top ten meds that can cause pets problems.

Cleansers, antifreeze and any other household chemical needs should be kept in a locked cabinet, preferably one high from the ground that is less likely for a pet or child to get into.





EVERYTHING ELSE
Dogs can find the strangest things to eat and they will. Not only do you have to be concerned with them eating something poisonous, but because of their predisposition to chew on things they may ingest things that will harm them in other ways. Dogs can and will eat things you would never imagine and this could cause a blockage that could potentially be fatal.
Keep in mind anything left within reach of the dog , especially if the dog is a puppy that is teething, they consider theirs' to munch on. Its like having a two year old, if they can get to it, then its going in the mouth.

Signs to look for if your dog may have an obstruction from eating something like the kids homework or worse..

partial blockage:
intermittent vomiting
diarrhea
cramping

complete blockage:
severe and sudden abdominal pain
projectile vomiting/violent vomiting
distention of the abdomen

If your dog shows any of these signs get them to the vet! If the blockage interferes with the flow of blood to the bowel, the bowel itself can start to rot within a few hours. X-rays are needed to properly diagnose the cause and location.




Hope these tips help you keep your dog happy and healthy. Sometimes the smallest things make a world of difference. I hope my lil blog does just that, in making pets safer in even the slightest way :D




I leave you with a picture of my dog after he happily dug a nice mud hole in my backyard. He hates a bath,but loves a mud hole. Go figure :D





For the record, his head is solid black.
He sure looks happy though, huh?