Blogging Friends.... Dear sweet Blogging
Friends.... So I've been "missing in action" for, like, nearly one
month, haven't I? Sorry about that!! Here is my very valid, completely honest
explanation--er, excuse--as to why I have not posted on Beautifully Unique in
so long!! Ready....? I have seemingly had a ton of deep, profound, soul
searching issues weighing in my crazy never-shuts-down head this month. Three, actually!! {More shall be revealed!! Eventually!!} And, well, writing/journaling--not Blogging--has apparently taken first
priority lately!! Whew!! My lame, completely honest explanation--er--excuse is
over!! But take heart!! All of my sporadic Blogging is about to change shortly!! Why?
Because the Christmas season is now fully upon us!! {Time to officially wave my Holiday Freak Flag proudly!!} And if I
don't write Christmas-themed Blog posts twice a week in December, then my elf name is not
Spunky Twinkletoes!! Love you later.
Taken from PetSmart Charities® and an old HealthyPets
e-mail!! I combined the two!! My apologies if I repeated any facts!!
Keep "People Food" Off Your Pet's
Holiday Menu
Keep your pet safe and healthy this holiday season by saying
"no" to the following holiday foods:
Holiday table scraps. Pets love rich scraps such as drippings, gravy
and poultry skin; however, they can cause pets to suffer from severe
indigestion, diarrhea and even pancreatitis, which is not only terribly
painful, but can be fatal. Never offer fatty foods to your pets and advise
guests not to feed them either. Confession. Rose does receive a little bit of plump white boneless
turkey meat {Because Life is short and it's Thanksgiving, after all!!} but I
make certain that she does not eat too much!! Keep items such as mashed potatoes and gravy away from the ends of
the table and counter tops so "counter surfing" pets can't reach
them. Also, secure trash and keep it out of reach, such as under the sink.
Chocolate is very dangerous to pets. It contains high levels
theobromine, which can over-stimulate the heart and is a diuretic. After their pet has eaten a large quantity of
chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs
of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within
twenty-four hours. Symptoms include staggering, labored breathing, vomiting,
diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia,
seizures, coma, death. Just a few ounces of chocolate can be fatal for a small dog. Keep
all types of chocolate out of reach of dogs and cats, especially baker's
chocolate, which is seven times more toxic than milk chocolate. Cocoa powder and
cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously
affected if "he" eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or
half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain
ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake
could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial 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, with milk chocolate being
the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk
chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to
eat.
Poultry bones can splinter and form sharp points, and can get stuck
in the gastrointestinal tract causing dangerous perforations. They might also
become lodged in the throat, gums or the roof of the mouth. Pets can't resist a
juicy bone, so make sure they can't steal one! Also, remove skewers and string
from the turkey, as well as that delicious roasting bag that a pet would love
to devour. Your pet could end up having surgery to remove such items from his
digestive tract. I empty our tall kitchen garbage immediately as soon as my Mom
finishes pulling the turkey meat off its bones!!
Xylitol is a sugar substitute found in gum, mints, candy, baked
goods. Even 1/8 teaspoon can cause dangerously low blood sugar in dogs and ½
teaspoon can cause liver damage.
Uncooked yeast dough raises major health issues. Hard to believe
there's a downside to homemade bread, but uncooked yeast dough can cause
abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, disorientation and depression in pets. The
product of rising dough is alcohol, which can be poisonous.
Alcohol and pets do not mix. Place alcoholic drinks safely out of
reach, and patrol the party to be sure your guests do the same. Alcohol
poisoning is serious and can be fatal. Never give alcohol to a pet.
No coffee please! That means anything with coffee in it, from
gourmet, chocolate-covered espresso beans to your morning latte. Caffeine creates
symptoms in pets such as restlessness, tremors and seizures depending on the
amount that is ingested.
Macadamia nuts cause severe reactions, including muscular weakness,
disorientation, depression, tremors and abdominal pain in dogs. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal
muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often
unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have
swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Symptoms can last from one to three days. Their high phosphorus content is said to
possibly lead to bladder stones.
No grapes or raisins! Dogs have suffered poisoning after consuming
between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins. As few as a handful of raisins or grapes can
make a dog ill. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, severe gastrointestinal
upset to kidney failure.
Mushroom toxicity does occur in dogs and it can be fatal if certain
species of mushrooms are eaten. Amanita phalloides is the most commonly
reported severely toxic species of mushroom in the U.S. but other Amanita
species are toxic. Symptoms include abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage,
kidney damage, vomiting diarrhea, convulsions, coma, death.
Baby foods can
contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Can also result in
nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts. I have baked Rose twain different dog treat recipes which call for baby
food. {One of which I have yet to post on Beautifully Unique.} I always pre-read
the baby food's ingredients before mixing it into Rose's treat batter!! So far
so good!!
Bones from fish can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive
system. The same goes for chicken, as well!!
Cat food is
generally too high in protein and fats.
Fat trimmings can cause pancreatitis.
Milk & dairy food: Some adult dogs do not have sufficient
amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. Rose has zero issues with
dairy products!! Are you kidding me?! Rose love, love, loves cheese!! This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free
milk products are available for pets.
Raw Eggs contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the
absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat
problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw Fish can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading
to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw
fish is fed regularly. I read this in one of my dog books. Raw, or undercooked salmon, steelhead
and trout from the Northwest carries flukes that can cause Salmon Poisoning. "It is not the fish
itself that causes canine salmon poisoning but the presence of a
bacteria--Neorickettsia helminthoeca--that lives in one of the salmon's
internal parasites. This parasite, a fluke, travels throughout the fish's
circulatory system, invading its muscles as well. When a dog eats uncooked
fish, he ingests these flukes--and the pathogenic bacteria they contain. The
flukes pass through the dog's intestinal tract, but the lethal bacteria remains
behind, causing disease and often death." Eating small amounts of raw or undercooked salmon, steelhead and trout
can kill your dog. Symptoms are
slight fever, followed by a loss of appetite. Then higher fever, often reaching
dangerous levels. Above 107 is considered a lethal temperature for canines.
Even if they survive the 107
degree fever, worst, oft deadly symptoms include this. Severe
diarrhea and dehydration. Few dogs
survive untreated.
Keep contact information for your veterinarian and the nearest
emergency veterinary clinic readily available.
Call or visit the veterinarian immediately at the first signs of
injury or illness. You can use a pet first-aid kit to treat minor injuries, so
be sure you have one on hand.
So, dear Blogging Friends. Please keep this information in
mind if you're like me and own a "food-lovin'" dog as you celebrate the Christmas season!! Or Hanukkah.
Or Kwanza. Or Solstice. Or New Years....
