This holiday season, in addition to being thankful for my amazing life, I am thankful to my friend and vet, Dr. Kim Danoff of Paws to Heal Veterinary Clinic in Vienna, Virginia. In her newsletter this month she shares some great reminders and I couldn’t have said it better myself! So thanks, Dr. Danoff, for reminding us – and teaching us – about foods that may be toxic to our best friends!
Chocolate
Most of us know that chocolate is bad for our pets. 95% of chocolate ingestion calls to animal poison control are for dogs. Dark chocolate and less sweet chocolate tend to be more toxic because they have higher cocoa contents.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a popular, natural, sugar free sweetener that is often in gum and desserts. Xylitol when ingested by pets very quickly lowers the blood sugar and can cause liver failure with in 24 hours.
Raisins, Grapes and even Currants
Whether they are yogurt covered, in granola, or by themselves raisins, grapes, and currants can be bad news. Raisins, grapes, currants can cause very rapid onset of kidney failure that is often fatal.
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Depending on the formulation, these aerosol sprays contain hydrocarbons, which are volatile substances. Some of the early signs of ingestion in your pet include an upset stomach. A high amount can lead to respiratory tract problems and a condition known as aspiration pneumonia.
Birds are very sensitive to cooking sprays because they have a unique respiratory tract that makes them very susceptible to irritation, so be really careful not only with cooking sprays but anything coming from an aerosol container when around birds.
Yeast Dough
If yeast dough is ingested it can expand, rise in the stomach, and can present a dangerous risk to your pet’s intestinal system, such as an intestinal rupture. Also, alcohol fermentation may take place in your pet’s stomach and if there’s enough ingested it can lead to alcohol poisoning. Any pet is at risk. Keep an eye out for signs of gastrointestinal irritation – vomiting, diarrhea and drooling.
Coffee Grounds
The harmful substances like theobromine and the caffeine found in coffee grounds are very similar to those in chocolate and often produce the same side effects. Look out for vomiting and diarrhea. In addition your pet may experience hyperactivity, increased heart rate, seizures, tremors and possibly even death, depending on the amount ingested.
Macadamia Nuts
We’ve only seen a negative reaction from these nuts in dogs and we don’t know all that much about why they are dangerous, but we would recommend keeping them away from all pets. It’s an interesting phenomenon – if enough are ingested (and as little as a handful can be seen as dangerous), we see weakness in hind legs and can see the gastrointestinal effects – vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. These nuts can also affect the central nervous system and cause depression and muscle tremors. Generally signs resolve in 48 hours with proper care and treatment.
Onions & Onion Powder
Onions, garlic and chives are all part of the allium species. Any of plants can produce similar effects. Look for the common gastrointestinal effects and trouble breathing. In addition, these substances can see significant damage to a pet’s red blood cells. Cats can be particularly sensitive but it is dangerous to cats, dogs and birds.
If you think your pet has ingested a toxic food, please contact a veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435
As the seasons move closer to winter Cannon is spending less and less time laying in the yard soaking up the sun and more time sprinting toward the house when he has done his business. Let’s face it, it’s getting cold! For those of us with short haired dogs, or smaller dogs whose core is closer to the ground we need to begin thinking about their needs during the upcoming winter months.
Just yesterday I received my copy of the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) magazine, familydog. I’d already resolved to sit and write this post and was happy to note that they included an article titled “How to Winterize Your Dog.” If you don’t have access to this magazine then I recommend checking out their guidelines on how to keep your dog both safe and warm. For those of you who work at a veterinary clinic, groomer, pet store or the like, you may also be interested in posting the AKC’s flyer that includes these guidelines.
In any event, some gear may be necessary to keep your dog from turning into a pupsicle. If you’re looking to purchase a coat or turnout (style of coat, originally designed for horses) then I highly recommend Foggy Mountain Dog Coats! I’ve purchased two snuggler (fleece) style coats for Cannon; one when he was a growing pup and another now that he’s full grown. They are durable, washable (bonus!) and come in many different patterns. Blackwatch plaid is my fav. Also notice that they have some breed specific coats as well. Warning: if you get a coat just be careful that you’re not getting too excited to see your dog sport his new fashions and that the weather is truly cool enough to justify wearing it. You don’t want to overheat him.
No matter how much we want to fight it, there are snowflakes in our future. Remember that while we start shivering so will many of our dogs. Get out the shovel and clear those paths for potty walks. Be careful where you sprinkle that rock salt, it can hurt their paws. And, if you have a Berner (like Julie) then let them off the leash and watch them in their element… no coat necessary here!
Do you have other favorite winter gear, such as sweaters and booties? Please share with us; we’d love to learn how you’re keeping your best friends warm this winter.
Got a question about your nearby national park? Good news, The National Park Service has created this great site to provide all kinds of guidance and answers to your questions: Oh Ranger!
The site has videos like “How can I stay safe in bear country,” links to all the national parks, featured parks and pretty much all the answers to your park questions.
I used the search tool and entered my zip code with the parameters of within 25 miles. 100 results showed up – 100! Fantastic! A Google-powered map pops up and it’s easy to see which results are close to home. From either the map or the list below you can click on a park to learn more. Keep in mind that the park service often covers the museums so in the DC area you will see some of those listed as well.
When I searched on a specific park – this time Shenandoah National Park, a favorite of OBH – a ton of information came up. I actually like this site better than the national park service’s site for the same park. The Oh Ranger! site is much more friendly and fun to navigate and has all the same information and more. The best part is, under Shenandoah Regulations link on the left, they specify where pets are and are not allowed in the park! Yay!
So not only do you need to bookmark this site, you also need to watch the bear video – it’s both educational and fun! If you do, the title of this post will make sense!
