Some of the most commonly found human foods can be poisonous, or life threatening to dogs.
A small amount can often cause a disproportionate reaction, and the effects can be lasting. We need to know what to keep our dogs and puppies away from to they do not fall foul of a tasty morsel resulting in illness, or even death!
Here is a list of food products to ensure are out of reach and safely tucked away from your canine family members;
Onions, garlic and chives.
Chocolate.
Macadamia nuts.
Corn on the cob.
Avocado.
Artificial sweetener (Xylitol).
Alcohol.
Cooked bones.
Grapes.
Raisins.
Of course some of these products may be in OTHER food products. For example Xylitol is commonly found in some peanut butter products and we use peanut butter to stuff our dogs KONG toys with! Be vigilant and check the ingredient labels closely. Another example is chocolate which comes in many forms. It is found in drinks, bars, ice-creams or cakes, be aware that these products come in different forms, think outside the box and keep your dogs and puppies safe from unwittingly eating something that can poison them.
I am sure plenty of you will have fed dogs these things before, and maybe thinking that it is all a load of baloney. I am also sure there will be lots of stories of your pooch grabbing the cooked lamb shank off the kitchen top and devouring it without issue. That may well be the case, but what if a splinter of that cooked bone had punctured his intestine and he had to have lifesaving surgery?
Let me tell you a story about Mollie. Twenty years ago I had a little terrier called Mollie. She was nine months old and into EVERYTHING. Including the kitchen bin.
She dragged a cooked chicken carcass out of the bin one evening, which of course I was blissfully unaware of, and she had eaten a fair bit of the bone before I had realised what she had done. I did not panic, after all she was mighty pleased with herself and she seemed fine. However, two days later she was lethargic, not wanting to eat or drink and she was running a slight temperature. An abdominal examination by my vet showed a blockage in the bowel. The vet operated on her that morning.
Sadly Mollie did not survive the surgery. She had significant bowel damage from the splintered bone and she suffered significant blood loss as a result. She was too young to withstand this invasive surgery and she died 3 days later.
I NEVER leave cooked bones in my kitchen bin. They are wrapped and placed directly in my wheelie bin outside, out of reach. I will always feel a sense of responsibility, it took Mollie to die for me to learn that lesson.
Your takeaway points from this blog;
Be vigilant.
Check food labels.
Do not leave food stuffs accessible.
If you suspect your dog or puppy has eaten anything they shouldn’t have, call the vet immediately.
If you are navigating your way through new puppy ownership and want to learn more and have the support of our online puppy raising community then check out The Puppy Pod Program, our complete online puppy raising guide, including video tutorials and puppy training tutorials.
Remember, it is their paws, in your hands!
Much love,
Rebecca
