Dangerous Dog Treats

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Dangerous = Dog=20 Treats

Dog owners love giving their dog=E2=80=99s treats. There are so many = treats available=20 these days and they all come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and = consistencies. For every great dog treat, there are those on the market = that are=20 not so good. These treats can harm your pet by being lodged in your = dog=E2=80=99s throat=20 or intestines. This can cause choking or worse. If you love treating = your canine=20 friend, then you will want to be aware of those treats that can be = potentially=20 harmful. Even with treats that are not usually dangerous, you need to = supervise=20 your dog when they eat. Greenies: Most dogs really enjoy these treats. = They are=20 advertised as a treat that help clean your dog=E2=80=99s teeth. However, = you need to be=20 aware that =E2=80=9Cgreenies=E2=80=9D can cause choking. This is because = dogs eat these very=20 quickly which causes large chunks to lodge in the throat. Young puppies = should=20 not eat this treat and dogs that are prone to =E2=80=9Cscarfing=E2=80=9D = food. If your dog eats=20 these treats, be aware of potential vomiting, bloody stools, and = difficulty=20 breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms after your dog has eaten = this=20 treat, seek medical attention.

Rawhide treats are a danger to your pets, and to your = children if=20 swallowed.

Rawhide is just exactly what it says, a raw dried out animal hide. = This=20 includes not only the rawhide bones & chews but also pig ears, pig = snouts,=20 bull tails, cow ears, lamb ears, choo-hooves, etc. The vast majority of = rawhide=20 pet treats are not made in the United States. But even those marked = =E2=80=9CMade in the=20 U.S.=E2=80=9D are a hazard.

A piece of rawhide purchased as a treat for your pet is a hide, = usually bull,=20 cow or horse obtained from slaughter houses, that has been scraped clean = of all=20 vestiges of meat, fat and hair. Rawhide, however, can be made from just = about=20 any animal. For Native Americans and early Europeans, it was the sheet = metal,=20 nails and binding material of the day. Rawhide was used to repair items = such as=20 horse gear and broken gunstocks. It was used in cabin construction as = door=20 hinges, windows and truss bindings and Mandan Indians used rawhide in = the=20 construction of their boats. As you can see, rawhide is a very strong, = durable,=20 heavy-duty item that does not easily break down

Still want to give it to your pets?

How is it made? Rawhide is made for commercial use from bull, cow and = horsehides obtained from slaughterhouses as a byproduct of the meat = industry.=20 The flesh side is scraped clean of all remaining meat, membrane, fat, = etc.=20 Traditionally this is done by hand, using a drawknife and scraper. = Modern day=20 tanneries use a form of a band saw to speed the process up and make a = nice clean=20 piece of leather. Commercial manufacturers of rawhide products have = machinery to=20 do this. Once the flesh side is cleaned, the hair must be removed. There = are two=20 traditional ways of doing this. One is to =E2=80=9Cdry scrape=E2=80=9D = by hand. This is=20 extremely time consuming, not to mention the amount of good ol=E2=80=99 = fashioned elbow=20 grease! Commercial makers of rawhide do not use this method.

The other method is to soak the fleshed hide in either an Ash-Lye = solution or=20 a Lime solution. The Ash-Lye involves covering or soaking the hide in a = mixture=20 of wood ash and water, which creates Lye. The hide soaks for = approximately. 3=20 days in the Lye solution, then as much of the hair as possible is = scraped off.=20 The process is repeated until all hair is removed.

The Lime solution is the quickest and most often utilized by = manufacturers.=20 This utilizes ordinary builders powdered (hydrated) Lime. The hide soaks = for 1-3=20 days and the hair is scraped off. This process is highly caustic but the = most=20 efficient for mass production.

To remove all traces of the Lime solution and to sanitize the rawhide = product, commercial makers then rinse the hides in a bleach solution = before=20 creating whatever shape is to be used. The bone and other shapes used to = attract=20 you and your pet are created while the hide is still wet. The = =E2=80=9Ctreats=E2=80=9D are then=20 either dried or sent for =E2=80=9Csmoking=E2=80=9D to further entice the = unsuspecting owner and=20 pet. A processed rawhide can shrink up to half its original size when = dried.

If the chemicals used to make these =E2=80=9Ctreats=E2=80=9D = haven=E2=80=99t convinced you to stop,=20 please consider this:

When rawhide is again wetted, usually when your pet salivates over = this chew=20 you have provided, it will slowly regain its original size. When your = pet tears=20 off and swallows a piece, that piece then has the potential to swell = inside your=20 dog=E2=80=99s stomach. Your dog=E2=80=99s gastric juices WILL NOT break = down the rawhide. Once=20 swollen, the piece then has the potential to cause anything from mild to = severe=20 gastric upset, to death.

Chocolate
It is not chocolate itself that is = poisonous to=20 dogs, it is the theobromine, a naturally occurring compound which acts = as a=20 cardiac stimulant and a diuretic.

After their pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet = owners=20 assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not = be seen=20 for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours. = Symptoms=20 include Staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal = pain,=20 tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, = death.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A = 10-kilogram=20 dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of = cocoa=20 powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of = chocolate=20 contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a = chocolate mud=20 cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a = substantial=20 part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous = forms,=20 with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more = than a=20 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the = dog,=20 the less it needs to eat.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. It = goes=20 back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a long = time for=20 the liver to filter out. Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing = vomiting=20 unless your dog is markedly stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag = reflex. If=20 your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any = of the=20 above symptoms, take it to the vet without delay. In the absence of = major=20 symptoms, administer activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine will = chemically bond to this and be eliminated in the feces. In a pinch, = burnt toast=20 (as in thoroughly burnt, crumbling in hand) will do.

Walnuts are poisonous to dogs and should be avoided. Many nuts are = not good=20 for dogs in general; their high phosporus content is said to possibly = lead to=20 bladder stones.

Potato poisonings among people and dogs have occurred. Solanum = alkaloids can=20 be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the = tubers=20 are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively = rare=20 occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is = poorly=20 absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the=20 metabolites are quickly eliminated. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes = are fine=20 for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in = dogs.

Onions/Garlic:

Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions = are more=20 of a danger.

Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, = where the=20 pet=E2=80=99s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. = Symptoms include=20 Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea,=20 discolored urine.

The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. = All forms=20 of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, = cooked onions=20 and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over = pizza,=20 Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed = as a=20 supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it = seems that=20 garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause=20 illness.

Mushrooms:

Mushroom toxicity does occur in dogs and it can be fatal if certain = species=20 of mushrooms are eaten. Amanita phalloides is the most commonly reported = severely toxic species of mushroom in the US but other Amanita species = are=20 toxic. Symptoms include Abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney = damage,=20 vomiting diarrhea, convulsions, coma, death

Grapes/Raisins:

As few as a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill; however, = of the=20 10 cases reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), each = dog=20 ingested between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins. Symptoms = include=20 vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.

Macadamia Nuts:

Macadamia nuts are another concern, along with most other kinds of = nuts.=20 Their high phosphorus content is said to possibly lead to bladder = stones. Dogs=20 develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of = the=20 hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, = usually=20 panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the = limbs are=20 manipulated.

Baby Food:

Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Can also result = in=20 nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.
Cat Food:

Cat food is generally too high in protein and fats.

Fat Trimmings:

Can cause pancreatitis.

Milk and other dairy products:

Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme = lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in = diarrhea.=20 Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.

Raw Eggs:

Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of = biotin (a=20 B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may = also=20 contain Salmonella.

Raw Fish:

Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of=20 appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish = is fed=20 regularly.

Toxic Plants:

As we let our dogs roam freely in and out of the house, we need to be = aware=20 of what we are exposing our pets to. There are various plants that are = poisonous=20 to dogs both inside and outside of our homes.

Poinsettias:

These plants are probably the most popular holiday plant and are = easily=20 recognizable by their large red, white, pink, or mottled leaves. These = plants=20 also contain a thick, milky irritant sap. In general, it would take = ingestion of=20 a large amount of this plant to see possible clinical signs in your pet. = Signs=20 could include vomiting, anorexia and depression. The symptoms are = generally=20 self-limiting and treatment is rarely needed. Your Vet may recommend = limiting=20 food and water intake for 1 or 2 hours if your pet is suspected of = becoming sick=20 after ingestion of poinsettias.

Easter Lilies:

Some members of the Lilly family of plants can result in serious = illness in=20 cats. Specifically, Easter Lilies, tiger lilies, Japanese show lilies, = rubrum=20 lilies, many lily hybrids and day lilies have been known to cause kidney = failure.

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Dangerous = Dog=20 Treats