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“Magoo was a big, playful Labrador Retriever who often got into difficult situations …”
Thus begins the story in the latest ASPCA report on foods that can be toxic to dogs. It turns out that Magu entered the closet and caught about a kilo of raisins. He ate it all, of course.
The ASPCA never mentions the fate of Magoo. But they tell us that even a handful of raisins can harm a dog’s health and is fatal to some. The same for the grapes.
Who knew?
Growing up, I thought of our family dogs as “the first dishwasher cycle.” They were good at waiting their turn for everything we left on our plates, and we weren’t too anxious to offer them “food for the people.” It never occurred to us that the health of our dogs could be affected by a few measles. What is safe for us, we decided, is safe for our pets.
Moreover, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to give one or two to our German shepherd “Tiffany”. The grapes always popped out of her mouth when she tried to bite them, and Tiffany, always a good sport, refused to give up until she crushed each of them in obedience. This guarantees at least 60 seconds of harmless fun.
Tiffany also loved chewing gum (she chewed it – packaging and everything else – but didn’t swallow it!) We looked sugar-free, which is often sweetened nowadays with xylitol.
I didn’t know I could have poisoned our pet! (More about xylitol below).
Why are grapes harmful?
As for grapes and raisins, no one is sure why they are harmful. It has been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. But not every dog and not every time. It is also not known whether small amounts eaten over a long period of time can have a cumulative effect.
What we do know is that the end result in almost all reported cases of toxicity from grapes or raisins is acute renal failure. (The term “acute” means that the condition is severe and occurs quickly.) The dog is ultimately unable to produce urine, which means that it cannot filter toxins from its systems, a process that is essential for life.
During the twelve-month period during which the effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center processed 140 cases involving one or more dogs. More than a third of the dogs developed symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs died. The ASPCA bases its study on reported cases, so there may naturally be cases where a dog’s health is not fully affected by eating grapes. But until they know all the facts, Society advises not to feed pets with grapes or raisins in any quantity.
One ounce of prevention
So, your dog has just won a big box of raisins. What should a pet owner do?
The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins have been eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and apply activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the gastrointestinal tract). Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in trouble, so jump straight to activated charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. (Eventually, you can make your own activated charcoal by charring a piece of toast until it turns black and crumbles easily.) Then call your veterinarian immediately.
Can’t get to the vet? Call me ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435
Your veterinarian will keep your dog on intravenous fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor your blood chemistry every day. A normal blood count after 3 days usually means that your dog is clean.
Maintaining care, of course, is the best way to protect your pet from trouble. Like children, dogs (and other pets) have the ability to get involved when we are not watching them.
It’s not just the grapes …
There are other foods that your dog should beware of and some of them may surprise you.
Here are some other foods that can harm a dog’s health:
Chocolate
Who can resist chocolate? You don’t like it, your dog.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, and cocoa beans contain a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Different types of chocolate have different effects on dog health. Dark chocolate has the largest theobromine, which comes with a whopping 450 mg (compared to 1 mg for white chocolate). So on Valentine’s Day, you’re actually nice to your best friend if you eat all the chocolates yourself!
Cocoa mulch
Cocoa beans are a by-product of chocolate production (thus mulch has turned it into a “food” category) and are popular as landscaping mulch. Homeowners like the attractive color and aroma, as well as the fact that the mulch breaks down into organic fertilizer. However, some dogs like to eat it and it contains theobromine.
Unhealthy foods
Fatty foods are difficult for the dog to digest and can overload the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. This can endanger the health of your dogs and be potentially fatal.
nuts
Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact, most nuts are not good for dogs’ health because they are said to be high in phosphorus and lead to bladder stones.
Mulching
Mulch is not food, but it is a species tempting enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are attracted to cocoa mulch and will eat it in varying amounts. The shells of coca beans can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (toxin) compared to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.
Onions
Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to cause hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J. Ettinger, DVM, and Edward S. Fieldman, DVM Book: A Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Vol. 2, p. 1884.) Stay away from onion powder.
potatoes
Potato poisonings among humans and dogs are rare, but they have occurred. The toxin, solanine, is poorly absorbed and is found only in green sprouts (they are found in tubers exposed to sunlight) and green potato skins. This explains why incidents are rare. Keep in mind that boiled mashed potatoes are good for the health of dogs, in fact they are quite nutritious and digestible.
Artificial sweeteners
Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, especially sugar-free chewing gum and candy. Ingestion of large amounts of xylitol-sweetened products can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs, leading to depression, loss of coordination and seizures. According to Dr. Eric K. Dunaier, a veterinary consultant in clinical toxicology at the Poison Control Center, “These symptoms can develop quite quickly, sometimes less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product,” said Dr. Dunaier. “… it is therefore important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately.”
Turkey
Turkey skin is now thought to cause acute pancreatitis in dogs, in part because of its high fat content.
Other foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful:
Alcoholic beverages
avocado (the only “fat” member of the vegetable family)
coffee (all forms of coffee)
Moldy or spoiled food
Sol
Yeast dough
Garlic
Bottom row
Thanks to a more educated audience, fewer deaths from foods such as chocolate have been reported these days. But it is important to keep up with what is currently known about food and its impact on dog health. Mulch of grapes and cocoa, for example, has recently been discovered to have harmful effects.
Check back often with sources like ASPCA or sign up for Cold Nose News and we’ll keep you posted. (You’ll also get a bunch of cool stuff for dogs along with your free registration).
Of course, be alert and timely taking your pet to the vet will help ensure a happy outcome if something unfortunate happens.
Health and good nutrition for your dogs!
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Source by Carolyn Schweitzer