It is what we do not know that can be harmful to our puppies! So, even if you are sure you know all there is about what can harm Fido, take a look at the following. You just might be astonished by what you find!
Bone:
The most common and frequent treat for dogs is without a doubt bones. Annually thousands of dogs end up in the emergency care center of Veterinarian hospitals because of bones. The reality is this, dogs are omnivores, not carnivores. Most dogs can not safely consume bones, since they can splinter or get lodged in the intestinal tract, requiring surgeries and can even cause death.Bones, as yummy as your dog finds them, are quite dangerous because they can also get caught in the dogs throat, which can have the same disastrous results as mentioned before. All bones are considered bad; including chicken, pork, and beef. The next time you feel the need to toss the dog a bone, try tossing a Nylabone™ or milk-bone™ instead. Your dog will thank you for many happy healthy years to come.
Milk and Cheese:
Just like humans, many dogs are lactose intolerant and can get diarrhea if they consume milk. Dog's do not have the required enzyme to break down milk sugar and will react by vomiting, having diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal distress indicators. Even though your dog really likes dairy products, and was raised on doggy mother's milk, do not treat him to his weakness. Cheese is far too high in fat and can lead your dog to pancreatitis—inflammation of the pancreas which can become deadly in no time at all, bringing a very painful death.Raisins and Grapes
Other than the fact that a small dog can actually choke on a grape, grapes and raisins cause a quite lethal reaction in dogs of any size. The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal discomfort. But more shocking is that grapes and raisins can threaten renal system function— bringing life-threatening kidney failure. Symptoms start around 24-hours after ingestion.Apple Cores
Cyanide poisoning can result from giving your dog the apple core from your afternoon snack. The pits and cores of certain fruits—plums, peaches, pears, apricots and apple cores—may be delicious, but hide cyanogenic glycosides, better known as cyanide. When your dog eats these tasty treats he is in fact ingesting the toxin. Some of the symptoms of toxicity are apprehension, dilated pupils, salivation, struggling to breath, dizziness, collapse, seizures, hyperventilation, shock and coma. Giving carrot sticks is a much better choice.Caffeine
No Star Buck's stops for Fido! Similar to chocolate, coffee contains a stimulant that is unsafe for dogs. Methylated xanthine, found in coffee, stimulates the central nervous system and within hours causes vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and unfortunately even death. So keep your coffee safely out of your dogs reach.
We are not going to lie. Some of these came as a big surprise! We have been giving our dogs beef bones for years and never knew a little cheese and milk could be hazardous to the dog’s health!
For more information, and to find even more deadly surprises, go check Pet Helpful. Chocolate we knew about but … avocado? Oh my!
