Chocolate Is Fatal To Your Dog
March 6, 2012
Surprisingly, the most common cause for pet poisoning can be found in your kitchen. If you enjoy mushrooms, coffee, and yes, chocolates, just to name a few, then keep the enjoyment to yourself or any other human being in the household for that matter.
Embrace Pet Insurance, a specialist insurance agency, revealed the leading culprits behind food poisoning in most pets that the company insures. Chocolate tops their list which is followed by raisins and mushrooms. Here is the list:
| 1. Chocolate | 11. Sugar |
| 2. Raisins | 12. Bread |
| 3. Mushrooms | 13. Cake |
| 4. Xylitol (sweetener) | 14. Coffee |
| 5. Grapes | 15. Corn Cobs |
| 6. Vitamins | 16. Dough |
| 7. Gum | 17. Meat |
| 8. Bones | 18. Rawhide |
| 9. Chicken | 19. Salmon |
| 10. Macadamia Nuts | 20. Avocado |
Symptoms of pet poisoning may include gastrointestinal and neurological problems, cardiac and respiratory distress, coma, and even death. The severity depends on the food item and how much was ingested or inhaled. Also, one animal's physiological response can vary from another.
Theobromine is a stimulant naturally found in chocolate and it's the reason for such poisoning. Theobromine can actually be fatal for dogs if consumed in high amounts. It attacks a dog’s nervous system and heart.
"Raising awareness of everyday hazards in your own pantry can help prevent undue distress to the nation's pets," said Laura Bennett, CEO & Co-Founder of Embrace.
She added: "If you do want to give your pet a treat, most dogs are fine eating lean cuts of meat as long as they have been properly cooked and thoroughly cooled. You can further decrease the opportunity of food related problems by removing all visible fat -- including the skin on poultry and ensuring that there are no bones in meat before you give it to your dog."
Never let those big puppy eyes and your immense love of your pets trick you into feeding them the delectable treats that could be the death of them!
By the way, this post is in accordance with the up-and-coming 50th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week which will be taking place March 18-24, 2012.
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