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"Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever
who often got himself into sticky
situations..."
So begins a story in the latest report from
the ASPCA on foods that may be toxic to dogs.
It turns out that Magoo got into the pantry
and snagged himself about a pound of raisins.
He ate the whole thing, of course.
The ASPCA never mentions Magoo's fate. But
they do tell us that as little as a handful of
raisins can impair a dogs health and has been
fatal for some. Ditto for the grape.
Who Knew?
Growing up, I regarded our family dogs as "the
first cycle of the dishwasher". They were good
about waiting their turn for whatever we left
on our plates, and we weren't too concerned
about offering them "people food". It never
crossed our minds that our dogs health could
be affected by a few measly table scraps. What
was safe for us, we figured, was safe for our
pets.
What's more, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to
give one or two to our German Shepherd
"Tiffany". The grapes always popped out of her
mouth when she tried to bite into them and
Tiffany, ever the good sport, refused to give
up until she'd squashed each one into
submission. It guaranteed at least 60 seconds
of harmless fun.
Tiffany was also fond of chewing gum (she
chewed it -- wrapper and all -- but didn't
swallow it!) We had the sugarless kind, which
is often sweetened these days with xylitol.
Little did I know that I might have been
poisoning our family pet! (More on xylitol
below).
Why are grapes harmful?
As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is
sure why they're harmful. It's been confirmed
that even grapes grown without fertilizers or
pesticides can be toxic to dogs. But not to
every dog, and not every time. It's also not
known whether small amounts eaten over a long
time period could have a cumulative effect.
What we do know is that the end result in
nearly all reported cases of grape or raisin
toxicity is acute kidney failure. (The term
"acute" means that the condition is severe and
comes on quickly.) The dog ultimately can't
produce urine, which means they can't filter
toxins out of their systems -- a process
essential to life.
During the twelve-month period in which the
effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA
Animal Poison Control Center handled 140 cases
involving one or more dogs. Over a third of
the dogs developed symptoms ranging from
vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs
died. The ASPCA based their study on reported
cases, so naturally there may be cases where a
dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating
grapes. But until they know all the facts,
the Society advises against feeding pets
grapes or raisins in any amount.
An ounce of prevention
So, your dog just scored himself a big box of
raisins. What's a pet owner to do?
The first line of defense, if the grapes or
raisins were eaten recently, is to induce
vomiting and administer activated charcoal (it
absorbs toxins in the GI tract). Vomiting is
also the first sign that your dog is in
trouble, so skip right to the activated
charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. (In
a pinch you can make your own activated
charcoal by charring a piece of toast until
it's blackened and crumbles easily.) Then call
your vet right away.
Can't reach the vet? Call ASPCA Poison
Control: 888-426-4435
The vet will keep your dog on intravenous
fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood
chemistry daily. Normal blood work after 3
days usually means your dog is in the clear.
Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, is the
best way to keep your pet out of trouble. Like
children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack
for getting into mischief when we're not
looking.
It's Not Just the Grapes...
There are other foods your dog should be kept
away from, and some of them may surprise you.
Here are some other foods that can put a dogs
health in harms way:
Chocolate
Who can resist chocolate? Like it your not,
your dog. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans
and cocoa beans contain a chemical called
Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. So on
Valentine's Day, you're actually being kind to
your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates
yourself! Read my special report on chocolate
at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/chocolate to
learn more, and see how different types of
chocolate have varying effects on dogs health.
Cocoa Mulch
Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of
chocolate production (which is how mulch made
it into the "foods" category) and are popular
as mulch for landscaping. Homeowners like the
attractive color and scent, and the fact that
the mulch breaks down into an organic
fertilizer. However, some dogs like to eat it
and it contains Theobromine.
Fatty foods
Fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and
can can overtax the pancreas, leading to
pancreatitis. This can threaten your dogs
health and is potentially fatal.
Nuts
Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most
nuts are not good for a dogs health since
their high phosporus content is said to lead
to bladder stones.
Mulch
Mulch isn't food, but there's one type
tempting enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are
attracted to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in
varying quantities. The coca bean shells can
contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (the toxin
) as compaired to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.
Onions
Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown
to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen
J Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman,
D.V.M. 's book: Textbook of Veterinary
Internal Medicine vol. 2 pg 1884.) Stay away
from onion powder too.
Potatoes
Potato poisonings among people and dogs are
rare but have occurred. The toxin, solanine,
is poorly absorbed and is only found in green
sprouts (these occur in tubers exposed to
sunlight) and green potato skins. This
explains why incidents seldom occur. Note that
cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a dogs
health, actually quite nutritious and
digestible.
Artificial Sweeteners
Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many
products, especially sugarless gum and
candies. Ingesting large amounts of products
sweetened with xylitol may cause a sudden drop
in blood sugar in dogs, resulting depression,
loss of coordination, and seizures. According
to Dr. Eric K. Dunayer, a consulting
veterinarian in clinical toxicology for the
poison control center, "These signs can
develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30
minutes after ingestion of the product" states
Dr. Dunayer, "...therefore, it is important
that pet owners seek veterinary treatment
immediately."
Turkey
Turkey skin is currently thought to cause
acute pancreatis in dogs, partly due to it's
high fat content.
Other foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful:
Alcoholic beverages
Avocado
(the only "fatty" member of the vegetable
family)
Coffee
(all forms of coffee)
Moldy or spoiled foods
Salt
Yeast dough
Garlic
The Bottom
Line
Thanks to a more educated public, fewer
fatalities from foods like chocolate are being
reported these days. But it's important to
keep up with what's currently known about
foods and their effects on dogs health. Grapes
and cocoa mulch, for example, were only
discovered very recently to have harmful
effects. Check frequently with sources like
the ASPCA, or sign up for the "Cold Noses
News" and we'll keep you informed. (You'll
also get a bunch of cool dog stuff along with
your free registration).
Of course, being alert and getting your pet to
the vet promptly will help assure a happy
outcome if something unfortunate should
happen. Here's to your dogs health and good
nutrition!
About The Author
Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor of
several websites, including
http://www.Great-Dog-Gift.com
Visit
http://www.great-dog-gift.com/foodarticle
to view the full illustrated article with
links to resource articles from the ASPCA such
as "How to Poison Proof your Home".
Sign up for the "Cold Noses News" at
http://www.great-dog-gift.com/noses to
have information like this delivered to your
mailbox.
