Food and Your Dog: Some things are deadly, some you may not know.

If you are anything like us, and if you are reading this we can bet that you are, then you love to give your pups treats just as much as we do. We love spoiling our girl Sady, who is a pure breed blue heeler, with all sorts of treats every day. Sometimes those treats are fresh fruits and some are organic products we decided to switch to as the dangers of GMO's are coming more and more to light in the recent times. This was a joint and personal decision which we feel was a good decision to make. 

What you may not know is that besides chocolate and grapes or raisins, which Sady does not get, that there are a few other very harmful foods that can cause respiratory problems, comas, seizures, kidney failure and a lot of times it can result in the death of your dog. We don't want this for you or anyone else so we are going to share as much information as we can so that you can keep your furry family members safe, healthy and happy for many years to come. 

First, I am a lover of Avocado. I can eat it any way shape or form and most of the times I eat it raw with a little salt. Now, avocado's for us are a great health benefit, but for our dogs they are not. The fruit, leaves and tree bark may all contain a toxin known as Persin. Different varieties of avocados can result in different levels of the toxin, but the Guatemalan version is by far the most toxic variety known today and this is also the most common one sold in stores. For dogs and cats, it is potentially harmful in a large quantity and can cause something as slight as an upset stomach or if the pit is consumed it can lead to a serious gastrointestinal tract obstruction and cause an infection which can be very serious. Avocado that is included in dog food products have not been known to be harmful because of the small amount that is used. 

Second, bread dough. No one eats raw bread dough, at least not anyone that we know of, however when you are cooking and baking things are going to get dropped on the floor and what better vacuum do you have for those scraps than your dogs. Well, with raw bread dough, this is not a good thing to allow. For one, which we all know is that the dough expands. It expands in the stomach, which can cause restricted blood flow, restricted breathing, and can cause alcohol intoxication from the yeast. Be watchful of the signs which show they are in trouble such as, disorientation, vomiting or attempting to vomit. In more extreme cases the dogs could have a seizure, slip into a coma or it could cause death. So when you're making some tasty treats for your family, be careful the living vacuum isn't right under your feet scooping up the wrong stuff.

Third, we chocolate. Chocolate most people know is not a good thing for dogs, but do you know why? First thing you need to know, is that the darker the chocolate the more dangerous it is for your dog. Not only because of the caffeine in the chocolate but because of a little thing called Theobromine which belongs to a chemical group called methylxanthines. White chocolate has the lowest amount and won't, to our knowledge, hurt your dogs, however, dark chocolate, brownies, cocoa powder can cause a variety of issues. Vomiting, dehydration, discomfort, restlessness to severe agitation, muscle tremors, irregular heart rate, high body temperatures, seizures or death can occur and you should always seek out professional help if these are seen at any time. 

Next I will combine Ethanol and Hops. Since both are derivatives of alcohol and most of us who are adults consume alcohol on a regular or semi regular basis that means we most likely have alcohol in our homes. Alcohol is a very dangerous thing for us and even more so for your dogs or other animals. They have a far lower tolerance for alcohol that we do and even a small amount can cause intoxication. Quickly you will see changes in your dog and they may begin to vomit, or slip into a coma, have seizures or even it can cause death. Hops, beer, all alcohol is terribly bad for dogs, so please keep it out of their reach, on a very high shelf or locked in a cabinet that they cannot open. Hops specifically are highly toxic to dogs and can immediately cause uncontrollably high temperatures about 108 which will cause the dogs body to begin to shut down. Restlessness, muscle spasms, seizures and uncontrollable panting are signs and immediate veterinarian intervention is necessary. 

Macadamia nuts are a very tasty treat for us, but not for your pups. Although it is very unlikely that they can die from these nuts, they will be put through a very difficult and somewhat painful experience are they to ingest them. Muscle spasms, restlessness in their legs and tremors are all signs along withe a low grade fever. Usually all symptoms subside within 48 hours and a trip to the vet can greatly increase their comfort and ease their pain and discomfort.

Moldy foods are another harmful thing to our dogs. Just like it can make us sick with food poisoning, and so the rule of thumb should be this, if you wouldn't eat than neither should they. Moldy foods produce a toxin called, tremorgenic mycotoxins. It's not easy to determine what moldy foods may be producing this toxin and it's best to stay away from them at all points. Keeping the dogs area both inside and out can greatly decrease the chances they could ingest these toxins. Things such as road kill, fallen fruits and nuts from trees can all produce mold and can be a not so friendly treat for your dogs. Generally the signs of poisoning start off with muscle tremors which can last several weeks if left untreated and can also lead to death. 

Onions and Garlic. These are great to cook with, and this family is a lover of Garlic so we pretty much put it in almost anything, but not if we plan on sharing what we have made with Sady. These healthy choices for us can be very detrimental to your dogs health as it destroys their red blood cells when consumed in excess. I would not recommend adding these to their treats or organic foods if you made your dogs food. It's very hard to tell if they have had too much as it takes a few days for symptoms to being to show. Your dog will become lethargic, move around slowly, their blood can be orange to dark blood red in color and you should seek immediate vet assistance should this occur as a blood transfusion may be necessary. 

Lastly we have Xilytol. This is a sweetener that is widely used in sugar-free candies, gum, and baking products. While its healthy content for us remains to be seen, (we stay away from it personally), for your dogs it can be severely aggressive in the blood sugar levels of your dog. Disorientation ans seizures can occur as soon as 30 minutes upon ingestion and can lapse into liver failure and even death. 


Do you see where I am going here, these things are deadly and can take our loved ones away from us which is why it is so important that we all know and understand not only what we are ingesting but also what they are ingesting as well. It is important that we stay abreast of what can be potentially harmful to our beloved pets and especially our dogs. We will do our best to bring you updated news every week. 

Thanks for reading and have an amazing day. 

Check out our website for more blogs, tips, training and healthy food & snacks. www.k9kleanupllc.com
Find us on: 
Facebook: K-9 Klean Up, LLC.
Twitter: k9kleanupllc
Instagram: k9kleanupllc
Pinterest: k9kleanupllc
Loganville-Grayson Patch Blog: K-9 Klean Up LLC

A copy of the original written piece can be found on; 
http://www.bubblews.com/news/2863250-food-and-your-dog-some-things-are-deadly-some-you-may-not-know