For several years now, we’ve seen and heard all the different news accounts of pets being made ill or out right poisoned by products manufactured overseas. And it doesn’t stop with just products for animals … baby formula, pot pourri, toothpaste, sea food, toys … you name it. In the interest of our health — and our pets health/well being — owners need to be hyperviligant about bringing in items manufactured outside the US.
The vast majority of our pets will be participating in Christmas with us. Other family members include them in their holiday gift buying … and this is where we need to talk. Many well-meaning gifters will not be aware of the contamination of products for our pets. This is where you — as the owner — need to carefully inspect packaging for country of origin as well as overall safety of the item. Read the label carefully — that country of origin is often buried in small print. Does it have small pieces that can be chewed off and ingested? It is a ball that a tongue can be caught in, cutting off circulation? If your dog is a “heavy” chewer, can the item be easily destroyed and eaten? If in doubt, get rid of it! The toy or treat you toss out may just save you $$$$ in vet bills.
Dogs and chocolate. Dogs and high-fat foods. All deadly combinations that are accessible during the holidays. Chocolate is a known poison to dogs (especially dark chocolate and small dogs). High fat foods can cause pancreatitis in dogs … an extremely painful and life-threatening condition. Skip the fat, treat with veggies if one absolutely must (and not the veggies swimming in gravy!).
Santa Paws can continue to visit … just make sure that what he’s carrying in his sack is safe for those little ones (or not-so-little ones)!!
And, if you’re still feeding the ever-popular chicken strips to your dog, please read the latest update from the FDA as of December 19, 2008.
One day she was playing with her dog in the yard and the next, the dog was dying and doctors say it’s because little Shiloh ate something that could be in your own backyard. It was wild mushrooms and unfortunately, Shiloh died a few days later. Now the pet’s owner wants to make sure others are aware of what can happen.“It was hard, she was mostly my buddy.” Tami Mungenast has pictures all over her house of Shiloh – a one-year-old, 90-pound Great Pyrenees. It only took one wild mushroom to kill her.“I never thought there’d be a deadly mushroom in my front yard.” Shiloh ate one of the mushrooms last month and four days later, she died.“She slipped into a coma and liver shut down.” Tami was desperate to find out what killed Shiloh so it doesn’t happen to her brother. “I’m neurotic about it right now.” Everyday she combs her yard looking for mushrooms.Shiloh’s vet says there’s no way to tell for sure exactly what mushrooms the dog ate but after having the dog’s liver tested, they found these mushrooms had a toxin called Galerina in them. It can kill anyone who eats it, like Shiloh did. “In about 24 hours her liver started to shut down and within three days, there was nothing you could do.”
ApsoRescueColorado 