My Ideal Dog

Most dogs owners would not give the pet chocolates knowing the toxic effect of this human food to dogs. A lot of dogs have died because of this comfort food. Chocolate has a toxic substance known as Theobromine that stimulates the dog’s nervous system so that the pet will have a rapid heart rate and very fast pulse. Drooling, vomiting and diarrhea are the less serious effects of chocolate to dogs. However, in some dogs, chocolate ingestion will result to tremors and seizures that can lead to the death of the dog.

Not only chocolates would have ill effects on the dog as some human foods are toxic to dogs as well. Foods that are perfectly safe for humans can have toxic effects on the dog. Dog owners have to know which of the foods commonly found in an average home can poison the dog.

Dog would get lots of benefits from eating fruits. Grapes and avocados though must not be given because of its toxic effects. More and more dog owners are taking the time to provide the pet home cooked meals fearing that commercial pet foods may be contaminated. Dogs would eat just about anything thus there will be no need to enhance the flavor of the meal by adding garlic and onions. These food enhancers have potentially dangerous effects to the health of the pet. Eating onions and garlic has the ill effect of bursting the red blood cells of the dog. Dogs that are regularly fed onions and garlic can develop anemia.

Dogs must be prevented from eating tomatoes and potatoes because these are poisonous to dogs too. These seemingly innocuous foods contain oxalates that cause abnormalities in the functioning of the nervous system, the kidneys as well as the digestive system. Green tomatoes are most toxic but the dog must be prevented from eating the leaves or the tomato plant as doing so would cause the dog to have tremors, to seize and to suffer from heart arrhythmia.

Foods known to be poisonous to dogs vary in the degree of toxicity. A dog owner may boast about a pet that has ingested one of these poisonous people food and show no signs of poisoning. This situation should not make other dog owners complacent as it does not really indicate that the food is safe for dogs. Poisoning will depend on the quantity of the food ingested, the body weight of the dog and the amount of toxicity the food. Furthermore, the toxic effects may not be readily apparent especially if the dog’s organs are slowly being damaged. Dog owners have to be careful in allowing the pet to eat people food.

Many common human foods are toxic to dogs. A more comprehensive list of foods toxic to dogs can be found at Sarah’s Dogs. Also you can read abotu dog grooming.

Food poisoning is one of the most common causes of dog deaths. Man’s best friends have the inclination to wander. Dogs are as well noted for their scenting abilities. Apart from being food motivated, dogs are known to be indiscriminate eaters. Dogs, even well fed ones would never pass up the chance to rummage trash cans and feast on rotting and spoiled food. Hence, food poisoning is one of the common health concerns of dogs.

The dog’s inclination to eat anything is not the only reason why the pet would suffer from food poisoning. A pampered dog that is kept indoors by loving owners can get poisoned by commercially prepared food. The dog’s food poisoning can be caused by commercial dog food. Unaware that the commercial food is contaminated, the dog will receive scoop after scoop of the food thereby building up the toxins in the dog’s body.

Food poisoning, just like any other health issues can be prevented from causing the dog serious harm if detected early. To safeguard the health of the pet, a dog owner has to have an idea how a dog suffering from food poisoning would react. Dogs have the ability to doctor themselves thus a poisoned dog would know what must be done. Dogs that have swallowed substances not accepted by the stomach would induce vomiting by eating grass. Induced vomiting may not effectively resolve the poisoning.

Dogs that are allowed to wander have all the opportunities to eat rotten food. Food poisoning can occur if a new diet is introduced. A dog suffering from food poisoning would vomit. Diarrhea is another. To flush the toxic substance from its system the dog would vomit and have diarrhea. Excessive drooling and sluggishness are other signs of food poisoning. Inappetance is also another sign of food poisoning. Poisonous substances that remained in the dog’s body for several days would dangerously affect its systems and the condition can be manifested by yellowish tint in the eyes and orange colored urine. Vomiting blood, blackened stool, seizures and loss of motor skills are advanced signs of food poisoning. As mentioned, poisoned dogs would refuse to eat. Unaware that the commercial food is causing the poisoning, the owner may mask the food with gravy or with meat to entice the dog to eat.

Fasting the dog for 24 hours is the most common measure done on dogs that are vomiting and having diarrhea due to the ingestion of contaminated food. Give the dog bland foods like boiled rice and chicken after the fasting period. The pet must be taken to a veterinary facility if the symptoms persist.

More signs of dog food poisoning at Sarah’s Dogs. Besides this you can also read about dog grooming.