Posted by Pets Best on 11/17/2008 in Articles from Newsletters

10 Potentially Deadly Foods

Secret killers: foods that are tasty for you may be deadly for pets.
This list does not include all of the foods that can harm pets, but does include some of the most common (and surprising!) dangers that could be lurking in your home.

Chocolate
Chocolate toxicity is one of the most common causes of pet poisoning during the holidays. Chocolate contains a lethal component called theobromine —the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.

Raisins and Grapes
It isn’t clear to scientists just what makes raisins and grapes toxic to both cats and dogs, but even a relatively small amount can damage the kidneys.

Onions and Garlic
Many pet owners are surprised to discover that onions and garlic contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in cats and dogs. Onion and garlic powders are found in many prepared foods – even baby food – so make sure to read labels before serving any item to your pet.

Xylitol
Dog poisoning cases involving this artificial sweetener, often found in sugar-free baked goods and candy as well as sugarless gum, are on the rise. Eating it can result in a sudden drop in blood sugar levels, resulting in depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. The amount of xylitol in five pieces of gum has the potential to kill a 65-pound dog.

Fatty Foods
When it comes to fatty cuts of meat and other fatty items including chicken or turkey skin, it’s better to throw them out than to feed them to pets as a treat. They can cause acute pancreatitis, a life-threatening illness with severe complications.

Avocado
Potentially poisonous to dogs, cats and other animals, avocados contain a fungicidal toxin called persin. Avocados, if eaten, may trigger fluid accumulation in the lungs and chest, leading to difficulty breathing and death from oxygen deprivation.

Moldy or Spoiled Foods
These can contain multiple toxins that can cause vomiting and diarrhea and may affect other organs.

Alcohol
Because cats and dogs are smaller than humans, alcohol can have a much more deadly affect on them. Dogs are often attracted by the sweet taste of alcoholic drinks, especially eggnog. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to heart arrhythmias, seizures, coma, and even death.

Macadamia Nuts
Though the exact reason is something of a mystery, these famous Hawaiian exports are considered toxic to dogs because they tend to cause gastrointestinal upsets, lethargy, vomiting and muscle tremors or stiffness. As few as six nuts can cause severe poisoning.

Coffee Grounds
Accidentally ingesting coffee grounds, or consuming any drink that is high in caffeine, can cause your dog’s heart to race. This can result in seizures, tremors, arrhythmias, vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty in breathing.

Because toxicity symptoms are similar no matter what your pet may have eaten, you should watch out if your pet seems to be distressed, listless or in pain. Bloody stools or vomiting are also possible indications. Gastrointestinal problems can lead a build-up of gas until the stomach becomes bloated and hard to the touch. This painful condition can cause the stomach to burst if not treated.

If you think your pet might have been poisoned, call your veterinarian or a poison-control hotline.

The good news is, in most cases, toxic poisoning can be successfully treated if you seek help for your pet right away.

Posted by Pets Best on 11/17/2008 in Articles from Newsletters

The holidays are full of warm, happy occasions shared with family, and for people like us, pets play just as large a role in these occasions as humans do. But by treating pets just like people, could we be killing them with kindness?

Along with celebrating the joy and love of family togetherness, Thanksgiving traditionally celebrates a bounty of delicious homemade foods. It’s understandable that we would want to share this bounty with our four-legged family members, but there are plenty of good reasons not to. Foods laden with spices, salt, or fat, for example, can cause stomach distress in pets and can even lead to serious health problems. Plus, there is concern that feeding pets a menu of human food, whether the feeding is done at the table or in pets’ regular feeding areas, can encourage begging.

Still, as family members, don’t Fido and Felix deserve some lovin’ from the oven? Of course they do! So when you’re planning Thanksgiving dinner, don’t forget your pets. Cooking for cats and dogs is actually a major trend among pet owners. An online search reveals that there hundreds of pet cookbooks on the market and thousands of recipes available to download.

One of the best pet cookbooks, Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome , was written by pet author Arden Moore (www.ardenmoore.com). Incredibly, it has reached sixth place on Amazon’s list of top-selling books. Each of the 50 nutritionally-balanced recipes was approved by Dr. Rebecca Remillard DVM, of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, including such drool-inducing favorites as Pooch Pancakes, Gobble-Down Goulash and Leap for Liver.

Moore’s publisher, Storey Publishing, also offers a cookbook titled Real Food for Cats: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Feline Gastronome by Patti Delmonte. This holiday season, you might want to try Delmonte’s “Turkey Surprise” for cats or Moore’s “Fido Thanksgiving Feast” for dogs; both are reprinted below. With these special dishes, your pet can participate in the Thanksgiving festivities without the problems that come with traditional holiday fare (make sure to remove the skin, which is high in fat, from turkey meat).

It’s important to note that the recipes in Real Food for Dogs and Real Food for Cats are not meant to replace high-quality pet foods, but to add to your pet’s diet, creating variety and interest.

Dogs and cats, of course, have different nutritional needs – one interesting difference is that cats are classified as carnivores, meaning that they can’t maintain their health without a regular supply of meat in their diet. Dogs, on the other hand, are considered to be omnivores, and may benefit from a diet of wider variety including cooked egg whites, cottage cheese, yogurt, rice, pasta and even veggies.

“Vegetables are a great source for that chubby canine who looks like a furry ottoman,” Moore explains. She suggests a replacing a portion of their kibble or canned food with steamed green beans or steamed carrots. “It enables the dog to still feel full without as many calories.”

Whether you’re cooking for your dog or your cat, you’ll be showing your love by keeping them as healthy as possible, says Moore: “If you invest in quality food in your pet’s bowl, you increase the chances that your pet will live a longer, healthier life plus you will save on veterinary bills. It’s a win-win for you and your pet.”

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FIDO THANKSGIVING FEAST*

1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup mashed potatoes
1 egg
½ cup diced cooked turkey meat
½ cup chopped broccoli
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the potatoes and egg.
Pour the potato and egg mix into the pan. Add the turkey and broccoli.
Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer until the egg is cooked.
Top with the grated cheese and let it cook for a few minutes longer to allow the cheese to melt.
Let cool before serving.
NOTE: this recipe’s portion is based on a medium-sized dog between 30-50 pounds. Adjust the portion accordingly for the size of your dog.

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TURKEY SURPRISE*

Turkey won’t be much of a surprise to the people at your Thanksgiving table, but your cat will be delighted to see this dish in her bowl on that holiday — or any other day, for that matter.

1 teaspoon iodized salt
2 teaspoons corn oil
1½ cups water
½ cup uncooked rice
½ pound turkey giblets, chopped into kitty-bite-size pieces
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
½ cup chopped spinach
Add the salt and oil to the water and bring to a boil. Pour the rice into the boiling water, lower heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the turkey giblets, carrot, and spinach. Cover and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes. Cool and serve.
Makes 4 or 5 servings.

*Reprinted with permission from Storey Publishing