Posted on 10/20/2009 11:23:35 PM PDT by KJC1
What are some things you have learned that are harmful to pets that most people don't know?
I'll start:
1) Fleas can cause anemia and can be fatal to very young and very old animals, and possibly other animals in general good health. Fleas not only suck blood but can cause a breakdown in red blood cells, which supply oxygen to the body.
2) A broken toenail can be very serious, requiring immediate veterinary attention to prevent infection and other complications. What may look like simple toenail breakage could be a break that exposes the bone.
I thought this topic would be of interest. Most of us know, for example, that chocolate can be fatal to dogs. Most of us know that outdoor cats are at high risk for feline leukemia.
I had hoped for a discussion on issues that most of us haven’t considered but of which we should be aware.
3.) Cats don’t really always land on their feet, and they only have one life.
Thanks.
Would you mind pinging your list for this topic? I’d appreciate it; it could and will be helpful to all of us.
4)Everyone knows that chocolate can harm dogs but onions and grapes (especially raisins)can be deadly as well
Toxic dose of chocolate in dogs is roughly 1 ounce of milk chocolate per pound.
Onions and grapes are nono’s for dogs as well.
I did not know that but I don't have a dog. I do; however, have two cats. Molly Maguire loves people food. She goes nuts over fresh peaches. She loves blueberry yogurt, and likes cheetos. Those are a few of the things I can think of right now. It never even occured to me that people food could be bad for them.
I always wondered why mommy’s little eating machine won’t touch my onions.
Woof
That amount would kill any living thing. Twenty five pound dog, 1 1/2 lb. chocolate?
One hundred sixty pound man, 10 lbs. chocolate.......
My wife's toy poodle loved and ate 1 or more Tootsie Rolls/ day. In later years she was blind but could smell chocolate across the room.
Lived to 22.
The vet advised me to cook it rather than serving it raw, and when I asked why, she said "because it's gross".
Feeding a dog bread will eventually cause diabetes...
My dog feels the same way about sushi as I do.
She won’t be eating raw fish. :)
So a Great Dane would have to eat 125-150 ounces of chocolate?
Pepperoni is right up there with chocolate as a no-no for pets. There’s something in it, I am not sure what, that is bad for them.
Cooked bones of any kind are extremely dangerous to dogs and cats, but some pets do fine on a raw diet. Raw chicken bones are safer than raw beef bones, as they are rubbery more than sharp. They can be ground down much better by the teeth, and will be digested. Raw pork is never a good idea, however.
Other foods to stay away from include macadamia nuts, which can cause muscle and nervous system issues, avocado, a fruit containing persin, which can damage the heart. This is especially true with birds, which should also be kept away from tephlon (the stuff on nonstick cooking pans).
Most people give cats and dogs milk, but do not realize that many are lactose-intolerant. It creates digestive issues, which you will most likely become unpleasantly aware of.
IOW, worry only a little about dogs/chocolate.
On another note my ex-border collie ate aluminum foil.
Made finding her ‘piles’ in the yard easy, on a sunny day. :)
Ten pounds, you say? We'll see about that.
(Sound of wrappers crackling and furious munching in the background...)
My wife used to be a chocoholic(not so much lately).
She’d buy a large bag of M&M’s and distribute them in smaller containers around the house.
Always in arms reach of a ‘hit’.
LOL!! Did he blow up the balloon?
Thank you!
My dog once snagged a box of macadamia nut cookies, and I called my vet ASAP. He advised me to pour hydrogen peroxide down her throat to induce vomiting. It wasn’t pretty but worked like a charm. I then took her in to the vet’s office, and she was fine.
I don’t know if inducing vomiting is the solution for all toxic foods if you catch it right away.
Veterinarians recommend always calling first to make sure that vomiting is what should be done. Some substances should not come back up, as this sometimes makes things worse. Peroxide is something pet owners should always have in the house, just in case, but definitely don’t assume the dog needs to bring up whatever was consumed. Sometimes they have to add other chemicals to neutralize what has been swallowed, and peroxide may mix with the substance, creating something even worse. Always call a vet before doing anything as soon as you think your pet has ingested a toxic substance.
Agreed.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is toxic to cats.
Never give Kitty a human or canine OTC medication without checking toxicity.
Many plants are toxic to cats as well, but definitely not catnip!
“Many plants are toxic to cats as well, but definitely not catnip!”
Not toxic, but immediately addictive? I say yes. I recently found a kitten and tried it out on her. She took one sniff and tried to take the entire tub of it with her paws. When I politely refused, she became the devil incarnate. That stuff is cat-crack.
Some dogs have iron stomachs; my dog doesn’t gnaw on bones, he crunches them up and eats them. Never had a problem.
Not all cats respond to catnip; a minority of them are indifferent to it.
Curiously, humans respond to the same active ingredient in catnip—as a sedative. Before tea made from the plant related to camellias was brewed widely in the west, catnip was widely grown for human tea drinking.
My dog has discovered Road Apples.
Come winter they’ll be Poopsicles.
He can’t seem to help himself.
I think the partially digested grass is what attracts him.
More than likely I’ll have to deworm regularly.
Yup.
Bakers chocolate that has no milk products or butter fat in it is considerably lower. Roughly 0.1 ounce per pound.
Cocoa mulch can be a problem as well.. Most hounds won’t eat cypress mulch other than gnawing on it as with any stick.
The cocoa mulch smells like chocolate and is tempting.
I had no idea it affected people. It seems to make my cats the opposite of sedated. I did have a cat once that didn’t care for catnip. She was just not affected by it, but all of the others I have had seemed to really like it. Now I always keep a small tupperware tub full of it, because after a long day of sunning yourself in the window and sleeping, what more could you want?
Catnip isn’t the only plant attractive to cats. I believer valerian root is another.
This is the first year I’ve been able to grow catnip plants—every other year roaming cats destroyed my seedlings.
I haven’t even been able to keep the plant that I got from Petco alive. It always looks like it’s wilted, and the cats won’t touch it! They seem to prefer the dried stuff. I’ll have to look for some valerian root.
I had a dog that ate about 100 ft of kite string. Didn’t know until I saw it hanging out. Held on to one end, she took off running, taking care of the rest.
I’m against cats in the house.
Raw pork is good provided it is frozen for 30 days before you feed it. That will kill any of the parasites that pork carries. Pork neck bones are soft and easily digested.
I have heard veterinarians say it is not a good idea to feed pork raw, and some even say not to feed cooked ham. I am sure there are reasons, but I don’t know what they are, lol. There are vets out there that are ok with it, also, because of the reason you gave. I am not sure which to go by, but since I don’t eat pork, I don’t think my dog will get a chance to eat it anyway. It’s nothing scientific on my part, I just think pork is too close to human flesh for my taste (not that I’ve had human flesh, but I am sure you get what I mean).
Perhaps the reason vets don’t generally recommend pork, or raw food in general, is because most people do not prepare the meals properly, and their pets could become ill, and of course they would blame the vet...just a guess.
I feed my dog totally raw. He gets about a pound of raw meat and bones for each meal. Once they are raw fed, they develope the enzymes to digest it and the bone just disolves. One of the benefits of raw feeding is their teeth are white as snow, their breath is fresh, and what is left to pick up (even after my 140 lb dog) is minor and odorless. They are also lean with solid muscle mass and unbelieveably healthy. My guy eats far better than I do.
I love raw feeding. I had a dog with allergies, and after feeding raw, her coat was shinier than it had ever been, and her droppings would turn white and blow away like dust! Even the gas that would send us out of the room disappeared. Pets really are better off with this diet, but you definitely have to get the right mix. And it can be much cheaper, especially if you make friends with the butcher.
Solid muscle tissue should be healthy and safe to feed raw—unless parasites are present. Ground meat fed raw is an invitation to problems with the large surface area exposed to bacteria.
If parasites are present in the raw meat being fed, then you’re gambling with your pet’s well-being. Long ago, when I still had indoor-outdoor cats who hunted, they acquired worms from their prey. The sight of several inches of tapeworm dangling from the nether end of your pet is not easily forgotten.
He does get it intermixed with beef, pork, fish, rabbit, and frozen green tripe. I would never go back to kibble feeding. Bright eyes, glorious coat, great muscle, happy, healthy dog.
Oops, that’s per day not per meal
My favorites were chicken, turkey, occasionally some fish (I was always really iffy about fish just because of my worries over freshness), three or four chicken livers thrown on top of whatever, and better steaks than I ever ate myself. That dog was spoiled, but she didn’t smell at all, and her breed is known for being smelly right after a bath. During that time, I started fostering a purebred GSD puppy, and boy did he fill out nicely! He had the fullest, shiniest coat and people would comment on it when we went on walks. His current owner feeds run-of-the-mill kibble, and although he’s at the right weight, his coat is not as shiny, and he definitely smells different.
Everything he gets is human grade with the exception of the green tripe.
I think more people would feed raw except it is a bit more work.
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