Sunday, October 14, 2007
Dogs cannot eat the same foods as people
Paws & Claws
Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas. She lives in Blacksburg now, and answers local pet owners' questions every week in The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com.
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- Halloween is not a treat for most pets
I know that dark chocolate and bakers chocolate can be harmful to my westie, but he does love milk chocolate drops. Are they harmful? What other foods should I avoid giving him? He likes to eat the same foods that I eat.
Typically, the darker the chocolate, the greater potential for poisoning. Depending on the variety, chocolate contains a lot of fat and caffeinelike substances, methylxanthine and theobromine. The high fat content can cause vomiting and diarrhea, while the caffeinelike substance causes restlessness, twitching, panting and increased urination. In severe cases, seizures may occur.
One or two milk chocolate drops a day will probably not cause a problem, but do not give more.
Other foods that you should avoid giving to your dog include anything containing alcohol, Macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, onions and garlic.
Dogs and cats lack the correct enzyme to digest onions and garlic, both of which contain thiosulphate. This causes the red blood cells to become fragile and break apart, leading to anemia. Large amounts of onions and garlic must be eaten to cause symptoms, and garlic pills are sometimes given as a flea control.
High levels of nutmeg are toxic. Grapes and raisins can also be toxic. To date, 10 cases of poisoning by grapes and raisins have been reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control center. The amount of these fruits varied between 9 ounces to 2 pounds. Kidney failure developed in those dogs that had eaten large amounts of either of these foods. Treatment for kidney failure can be prolonged and is not always successful. A dog can tolerate dairy products, although they can cause problems because of the high fat content. Many pets, especially cats, lack the enzyme to digest lactose, and this can cause diarrhea. Very fatty foods, such as turkey skin, can cause a painful pancreatitis, an acute condition requiring immediate veterinary care.
* * * *
I am a bird lover and have a lot of bird feeders around the yard. A lot of the seed falls on the ground, and my Lab mix dog loves to eat them. Is this habit harmful? He sometimes seems a little gassy after eating the seeds.
If possible, stop your dog from eating the fallen birdseed for several reasons. The bird seed alone is probably not going to cause too many problems, unless he eats so much that his intestines become impacted.
Should a dog develop a large amount of gas in the stomach from the seeds fermenting, it may cause the stomach to bloat, which is not only very uncomfortable but can lead to gastric dilation and volvulus, a condition in which the stomach twists on itself. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency veterinary attention.
Most dogs can pass small amounts of ingested bird seed in their stool.
A second cause of concern is that your dog may eat bird droppings along with the bird seed. Many birds excrete salmonella bacteria in their droppings. Salmonella can cause severe digestive upsets with copious vomiting and diarrhea that can be fatal in either the very young or elderly dogs. More importantly, the salmonella bacteria could be passed to you.
* * * *
My neighbors are moving into an apartment where no dogs are allowed. They have a three-legged dog that they would like me to adopt. Would it be better to put her down?
No. Most three-legged dogs live happy lives and adjust to their disability with ease, be it a front leg or a hind leg.
Typically, the darker the chocolate, the greater potential for poisoning. Depending on the variety, chocolate contains a lot of fat and caffeinelike substances, methylxanthine and theobromine. The high fat content can cause vomiting and diarrhea, while the caffeinelike substance causes restlessness, twitching, panting and increased urination. In severe cases, seizures may occur.
One or two milk chocolate drops a day will probably not cause a problem, but do not give more.
Other foods that you should avoid giving to your dog include anything containing alcohol, Macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, onions and garlic.
Dogs and cats lack the correct enzyme to digest onions and garlic, both of which contain thiosulphate. This causes the red blood cells to become fragile and break apart, leading to anemia. Large amounts of onions and garlic must be eaten to cause symptoms, and garlic pills are sometimes given as a flea control.
High levels of nutmeg are toxic. Grapes and raisins can also be toxic. To date, 10 cases of poisoning by grapes and raisins have been reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control center. The amount of these fruits varied between 9 ounces to 2 pounds. Kidney failure developed in those dogs that had eaten large amounts of either of these foods. Treatment for kidney failure can be prolonged and is not always successful. A dog can tolerate dairy products, although they can cause problems because of the high fat content. Many pets, especially cats, lack the enzyme to digest lactose, and this can cause diarrhea. Very fatty foods, such as turkey skin, can cause a painful pancreatitis, an acute condition requiring immediate veterinary care.
* * * *
I am a bird lover and have a lot of bird feeders around the yard. A lot of the seed falls on the ground, and my Lab mix dog loves to eat them. Is this habit harmful? He sometimes seems a little gassy after eating the seeds.
If possible, stop your dog from eating the fallen birdseed for several reasons. The bird seed alone is probably not going to cause too many problems, unless he eats so much that his intestines become impacted.
Should a dog develop a large amount of gas in the stomach from the seeds fermenting, it may cause the stomach to bloat, which is not only very uncomfortable but can lead to gastric dilation and volvulus, a condition in which the stomach twists on itself. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency veterinary attention.
Most dogs can pass small amounts of ingested bird seed in their stool.
A second cause of concern is that your dog may eat bird droppings along with the bird seed. Many birds excrete salmonella bacteria in their droppings. Salmonella can cause severe digestive upsets with copious vomiting and diarrhea that can be fatal in either the very young or elderly dogs. More importantly, the salmonella bacteria could be passed to you.
* * * *
My neighbors are moving into an apartment where no dogs are allowed. They have a three-legged dog that they would like me to adopt. Would it be better to put her down?
No. Most three-legged dogs live happy lives and adjust to their disability with ease, be it a front leg or a hind leg.
