Hello, I am Ron Snider.
Today I will talk about a subject that Is close to my heart, our pets.
According to the American Pet Products Association, 70% of American households own a pet, and nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family.
I most certainty feel that all four of my dogs our members of my family.
65.1 million U.S. households own a dog, followed by 46.5 million Americans own a cat.
We as parents all know to childproof our homes to keep young children safe, but what about “pet proofing” our homes too? Many edible and non-edible dangers for your pet may exist in or around your home. Knowing about these dangers can help you make your home a safer place for your pet.
Dogs, will often eat items in your house or yard that may be dangerous for your pet include: Antifreeze, Cocoa mulch, Fabric softener sheets, Ice melting products, Insecticides, and pesticides, even flea and tick products for dogs can be dangerous, or possibly life-threatening, if used on cats or other animals. Lawn fertilizers and weed killers, Liquid potpourri, Mothballs, Paints and solvents and Rat and mouse bait.
Various household cleaners, including bleach and toilet bowl cleaners, Swimming pool chemicals, Salt dough Christmas tree ornaments and play dough.
If you consider the family dog, well, family—and are apt to toss him a piece of your food now and then—proceed with caution. Some foods meant for human consumption can be dangerous, and even deadly, to your dog.
How are people and animals different when it comes to food?
According to veterinarians at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an animal’s body processes food much differently. They say our bodies may break down foods or other chemicals that a dog’s can’t tolerate.
And while sometimes people can have severe allergic reactions to foods, it’s different for dogs. The veterinarians say ''Allergies in animals tend to manifest themselves more in skin or ear issues.''
Moreover, a food might harm one dog and not another. It depends on a number of factors, including the animal’s genetic makeup and size, as well as the amount that animal eats. The veterinarians say, ''A big lab that eats a bar of dark chocolate may not have any problems,'' whereas a Chihuahua could get dangerously ill.
SOME FOODS TOP THE LIST
Imagine if you will, after being shut in the house for a few months because of the cold winter weather, warm weather arrives, it is time to get outside and clean the grill and all the while Fido is also enjoying the sunshine by running and playing in the yard.
After a short while the grill is all set to go for a cookout, so the hamburger patties are brought out, and Fido's Strong Sense of Smell, that the Scientists say is 10,000 to 100,000 times more than a human's, comes running to the grill to check out the food.
Looking down at Fido being so cute, with its eyes open wide, tails a wagging, so for a reward of being cute, a raw uncooked hamburger is tossed to Fido.
That is a dangerous mistake, for that raw meat can contain E. coli, salmonella, or other harmful bacteria. Food safety is important to you and your pet.
OTHER FOODS THAT TOP THE LIST
Grapes, and raisins can cause kidney failure in some dogs. However, not all dogs are affected, but if you think you are handing your dog a healthy snack, you could be disastrously wrong. But what about other fruits? For instance, can dogs eat apples and bananas? According to veterinarians, yes—just make sure that with apples, you don’t feed your dog the core or seeds.
Fried and fatty foods can not only give your dog a stomach ache, but can also cause a potentially life-threatening disease called pancreatitis. Even if your dog is eyeing the fried chicken and is longing for it, resist the temptation to give him his own piece to chew on.
Moldy foods are not something you would feed your family, and your dog shouldn’t eat them either. If you put moldy cheese rinds or hamburger buns in the trash can, make sure your dog doesn’t get into the garbage. By the same token, if you have a compost heap and it’s the first place your dog makes a beeline for, be sure the moldy scraps are well out of reach.
Onions, garlic, and chives (as well as onion and garlic powder) can be harmful to your dog, especially in large amounts. If you have put a lot of onions and garlic powder in your salsa, marinade, or beans, don’t let your dog get into the leftovers.
Salty snacks, in large quantities, could also cause problems in your dog. According to veterinarians, ''Feeding the odd potato chip or pretzel probably won’t do any harm,'' But if your dog gets into a whole bag of them, he could get really sick. Make sure your dog has access to plenty of water at all times, especially if he gets into salty snacks.
Two More Ingredients Your Dog Should Avoid
Macadamia nuts can be very harmful to dogs. So If you’re making macadamia nut cookies, make sure they stay out of reach of your dog.
Finally, many dog owners know chocolate is bad for their dogs, but they may not realize that xylitol, a sugar substitute used in many sugarless products, can be deadly for him. Xylitol is found in sugarless gum, candies, oral products, and some peanut butters and other nut butters. According to veterinarians ''If you feed your dog pills coated in peanut butter, or put peanut butter in their hollow chew toys, make sure to check the list of ingredients first to make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol.''
Food and Snack Bags
Snacks are available in your home, and so, sometimes, are the bags they come in. As your pets search the house for tempting treats, they may find an empty potato chip bag on the floor that you or your child forgot to toss into the trash. Pets can smell the food inside the bags or just be curious about the bag itself and poke their heads inside. This can be dangerous.
Food bags, especially the mylar-type potato chip, cereal, and snack bags can be dangerous for your pets, and dogs, especially, may sniff them out. These bags are thin enough that if a dog puts his head far enough into one and breathes in, the bag can wrap around his nose and mouth, suffocating him. The more your dog breathes in, the tighter the bag will get around his face, like shrink wrap, and he can't easily pull the bag off with his paws. Make sure that snack bags are closed and put away in a cabinet or, if empty, tossed into a trash bin that your pets can't get into.
A Word about Cats
Why the focus on dogs? Cats are far pickier eaters than dogs and do not often get into trouble by eating foods that will harm them. However, according to veterinarians, cats are super-sensitive to onions, garlic, and onion and garlic powders, so make sure your cat has no opportunity to eat foods made with these ingredients.
Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe From Holiday Hazards
Happy holidays? Not if your pet gets sick. The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine discusses some unhealthy holiday temptations and how to keep your pets safe.
Stocking Stuffers and Pet Treats
If your dog received a stocking full of pet treats, make sure he doesn’t gobble them all up at once, making them hard to digest. Unchewed pet treats can get stuck in the (windpipe) or gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, and intestines).
If your dog is in obvious distress from eating too much too fast, call your veterinarian immediately. Some telltale signs are drooling, choking, or vomiting.
Take note of timing. If a bone or chew toy lodges in your dog’s stomach or intestines, the symptoms might not be immediate. Hours to days later, he may vomit and have diarrhea, be less active, not want to eat, and have stomach pain. If the blockage stays there too long, your dog may become very ill.
When in doubt, call your veterinarian, who may need to take x-rays, use an endoscope (a medical device with a special camera that can see inside the throat, stomach, and intestines), or even do abdominal surgery to see what and where the problem is and remove any pieces of bone or chew toy that are causing the blockage.
Tinsel and Ribbons
Decorating your tree? Wrapping or unwrapping gifts? Keep a close eye on where you leave leftover tinsel, string, and ribbons.
Your cat or dog may find these decorations irresistible because they look like easy-to-catch, sparkly, and wiggly prey. In fact, they can cause serious stomach and intestinal damage.
Play it safe by keeping tinsel off the tree and collecting all ribbons and string after gifts are opened.
Salt-Dough Ornaments and Homemade Play Dough
If you’re making salt-dough ornaments or homemade play dough, keep your pets away from them. They contain a great deal of salt, which can be fatal to pets if eaten. Be sure to warn children who may want to give a “treat” to Bowser or Kiki the cat. Putting it in perspective, one cup of salt is 48 teaspoons. A 10-pound pet can get sick after eating just ½ teaspoon of table salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt can be fatal.
Holiday Plants
If you have holiday plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, or holly around, take care. When you display (or dispose of) these plants, your cat or dog may decide they are good to eat.
Take poinsettias, which can irritate your pet’s mouth and stomach and may cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your pet eats poinsettia leaves, you can help by picking up the food and water dishes for a couple of hours to let your pet’s stomach settle.
Fortunately, severe mistletoe toxicity is uncommon and usually occurs only if your pet eats a large amount. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty breathing, slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, and odd behavior.
Even though holly berries and leaves aren’t very harmful, they can still make your pet ill and you should prevent your pets from eating them. In both dogs and cats, the plant’s toxins can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and decreased activity. Not to mention, the spikey leaves could hurt your pet’s mouth.
Table Scraps
Don’t give your pet table scraps that are high in fat, such as fat trimmings from meat or skin from a roasted turkey or chicken. Not only can rich foods cause an upset stomach, but they can also cause a potentially life-threatening and painful disease called pancreatitis. The most common symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs include vomiting, stomach pain, restlessness, shaking, diarrhea, fever, and weakness.
In cats, the symptoms are less clear and harder to notice, such as decreased appetite and weight loss.
And be careful what you put in the trash can. Dogs, especially, are notorious for helping themselves to the turkey carcass or steak bones, which can get stuck in your dog’s esophagus, stomach, or trachea. Sharp pieces of bones can also injure your dog’s mouth, esophagus, and stomach, and can cause severe internal injuries. Once your holiday meal is done, securely wrap up the table scraps and bones and dispose of them in a trash bin that your pets can’t get into.
Plants and Flowers
Threats to your pet’s health can also come from outside the home. Some plants and flowers can be harmful if your pet eats them. Below is a list of the more common plants and flowers that may be dangerous for your pet:
Almond, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, and plum trees and shrubs
Aloe Vera
Amaryllis
Caster Bean
Chrysanthemum
Cyclamen
Corn Plant
Daphne
Dogbane
English Ivy
Foxglove
Golden Pothos
Hibiscus
Hyacinth and Tulip (especially the bulbs)
Hydrangea
Kalanchoe
Lilies: Daylily, Gloriosa Lily, Lily-of-the-Valley, Peace Lily, True Lily
Mother-in-Law Tongue
Mountain Laurel
Narcissus, Daffodil, Paperwhite, and Jonquil
Oleander
Philodendron
Poinsettia
Rhododendron and Azalea
Rosary Pea
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Stinging Nettle
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Plant
Yew Bush
Now, my friends, we have come to the end of this blog. I appreciate you taking the time to read what I have written. This is Ron Snider. See you next time.
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