Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

[Noelle7206]

A friend sent me this...chewing gum (with Xylitol) seems so harmless, yet can cause liver failure & death in our canine friends.

Her Dog Is Dead Because Of A *Tragic* Mistake, And The Killer Might Be Lurking In YOUR Home... - LittleThings.com - Amazing Videos, Stories and News from around the world. It's the little things in life that matter the most! - LittleThings.com

[Reinz15]

Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Great info, easy to memorize for anyone. But then, I do my best not to give people food to my spoiled Angels.

I just spoil them with junk food!

(Oops, the memorizing, refers to a link that was in the article or on the same page about 15 things to never give your dog)

[Noelle7206]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Cute puppies, Reinz15! It's not as if anyone (other than a child?) would give gum to a dog but if it's left where they can reach it, some dogs help themselves. I know someone who had a close call when one of their
dogs rummaged in a purse & chewed on the gum package before deciding to EAT the Riccola cough drops instead. Some other things that are bad for dogs (grapes & raisins, for example) just seem SO harmless too, so
it's good to share this info. And some dog owners just refuse to believe that something they love can hurt their dogs...like chocolate; I've heard people say they've always given their dog some, but they don't seem
to realize that it can build up...dogs are unable to get rid of the harmful chemicals it contains, so while it may cause no symptoms at first, it will eventually. Small dogs are of course at greater risk.

I personally don't give many 'official' dog treats either.* So many are made in China, & contamination with melamine & other things (even in some brands of dogfood, a couple years ago) can & have caused deaths. There
is a site you can subscribe to for updates on all pet food recalls. There are also recipes to make your own dog biscuits, but I don't usually do that...I just stick with a few good brands. My dogs love to chew rawhide now
& then but they won't touch the stuff sold in most stores...that really told me something & most are Chinese-made. I bought some USA-made rawhide treats from the health food store I frequent, & they LOVE them, &
they cost about the same as the imports. (*probably because I read the fine print...the ingredients are usually & truly disgusting)

Same goes for those cheap 'doggy toys' made of plastic & mostly imported from China...many have contaminents that can hurt your pets. (just as with children's toys)

[Reinz15]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Noelle, I'm glad you mentioned dog treats from China. I need to be cognizant of that!

I made sure the food was good, and made in the USA, Science Diet. I had two previous dogs die of cancer on a well known dog food for many, many years and come to find out it was made overseas. Another dog, with seizures. Was it the food, or coincidence? I changed regardless.

The 15 things never to feed a dog are:

Chocolate
Macadamia nuts
Salt
Yeast
Moldy Food (think about them getting into the garbage)
Grapes/raisins
Peaches
Avacodos
Chicken and Turkey Bones
Gum
Garlic
Onions
Alcohol
Dairy
Raw Eggs

[Noelle7206]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Dog treats: the jerky treats (made from chicken, duck, turkey, beef...) were my dogs absolute favorites & I used to break/cut them into little bits (in part to reduce the choking hazard- my little dog gulps more than chews)
and because I'd play hide & seek with the pieces, with my 2 dogs racing against each other to find all the hidden pieces. It was about 2 years ago now, I think? but many of those were recalled* & the vet I take my dogs to
advises not to buy-feed ANY treats made in China. (*severe illnesses were resulting...sporadically with the same brand/type...they couldn't even pin down the contaminant, last I heard?) It's just not worth the risk to our
best pals. Many dogs love raw carrots & they get chewing pleasure from them too, if you want a healthier suggestion? (it helps if you also enjoy carrot sticks in front of them, LOL)

[Noelle7206]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Oh, & if you can find them, my dogs LOVE the biscuits by Rachael Ray, "Nutrish" (they come in turkey or berry flavors, & maybe others?) The ingredients are good...I found these several times in Big Lots, FYI...you wouldn't
think 'berry' flavor would appeal to dogs? (but they sure smelled good to me! LOL!) and maybe that's why they were being sold off in Big Lots, but trust me, dogs DO love them.

[DaChief]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

You can actually give your dogs raw chicken and turkey bones. I have been feeding a raw diet for years to my dogs. Raw chicken qtrs, necks, gizzards and liver are their primary meat source but have given turkey (minus the skin). Raw chicken bones do not splint like cooked chicken bones which can cause problems when swallowed. I also give eggs (soft boiled), it's the white of the raw egg that's bad for dogs.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

You can actually give your dogs raw chicken and turkey bones. I have been feeding a raw diet for years to my dogs. Raw chicken qtrs, necks, gizzards and liver are their primary meat source but have given turkey (minus the skin). Raw chicken bones do not splint like cooked chicken bones which can cause problems when swallowed. I also give eggs (soft boiled), it's the white of the raw egg that's bad for dogs.

My dogs & I won't be joining you on this 'raw diet' (and bones) thing...I've heard from a few others who likewise buy into this way of feeding but I'm sure not going there. And raw eggs? Never! No thanks...

My dogs are fed a high quality kibble that I supplement with various cooked meats, well-cooked eggs & veggies for both flavor, variety & nutrition...they are happy & healthy.

[littleb]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

Many dogs love raw carrots & they get chewing pleasure from them too, if you want a healthier suggestion? (it helps if you also enjoy carrot sticks in front of them, LOL)

I second this! My lab loves carrots and I usually have one or two with him as well. I would also add that apple seeds can be toxic to dogs. My dog also loves eating plums right off the tree (or the ground) in my front yard and I really need to teach him to stop it.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Harmless & common to us, deadly to our dogs!

.... I would also add that apple seeds can be toxic to dogs. My dog also loves eating plums right off the tree (or the ground) in my front yard and I really need to teach him to stop it.

Apple seeds contain cyanide...you definitely don't want your dog to eat them (nor should we). Better to "error on the side of caution"...what we (or our pets) get away with in small amounts may be much worse if
more is ingested. I'm not sure about plums...assuming your dog isn't climbing the tree (?) you might try fastening a large net underneath it to catch the falling produce before your dog does? Or put a fence around
the tree?