What's Good for Our Pets?

Myrtle with her newest toy bunny


I haven't talked about Myrtle much lately cause I know that not all people think of their pets as members of their family exactly. I know I was one of those people for years and had the rule that pets belonged outside except for small dogs and cats and they had to be potty trained of course.
Well, since our kids all left home a few years ago, the house became awfully empty and quiet except when grandkids graced our home. Anyway, I bought my husband a 9 week old 'Ye Olde English Bully Dogge'.
She was precious and all teeth with all the puppy teething traits. She was so excited when someone came over and jumped on them and chewed on their shoes or any other hanging object she could reach. Of course we began training her and even took her for obedience lessons when she was about 6 months old.
She did great, but dogs only do as well as the humans who are training her. I decided that I would do as much as I could to make her a comfortable part of our family since I have so many medical issues at times that take all of my energy and strength away. I knew I had to get her inshape during the summer when I was feeling good and we could get her outside more to romp and train. She now knows about 20 commands and ignores several others when she's not in the mood to cooperate. She is a bull dog you know.
She is now turning 2 years old in April and I think she 'knows' she is one of us and expects all those special priviledges any child would have and sometimes more. Our bed is now a 3 person bed but I sure didn't intend for it to be that way in the beginning.
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves as well as her that she really is 'just' a dog and should not get everything she thinks she should have, like steak, chicken, cheeze, mashed potatoes, celery, peaches, oranges, chips, candy, and etc. etc.
We found a list of the no-nos for dogs that are dangerous and we are careful to not let her get any of those. Below is a list of dangerous foods that we all eat and may unknowingly share with our pets. This information was obtained from the internet and there may be other more sites with this information too.

1.Avacados - can harm heart, lungs, bodily tissues, it's high in fat and could cause respitory problems, severe vomiting, stomach upset, indegestion and more.

2. Chocolate - all chocolates are dangerous for dogs. Small amounts of dark chocolate could be fatal. It can cause seizures, coma and death.

3. Fruit Seeds - Seeds in fruits like apples, cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots contain high Cyanide doses. Cyanide in the body adds up over time and can be very dangerous.

4. Garlic - it can be injurious if large quantities are taken. Too much can cause destruction of red blood cells which causes anemia, weakness and respitory problems.

5. Grapes and Raisens - Even one grape or raisen could cause kidney failure in a dog.

6. Onion and Chives - can destroy red blood cells causing anemia, weakenss and respitory problems. Raw, cooked or powdered, even a small quantity might be fatal for your dog.

7. Tomato - intake of tomatos can cause weakness,lethargy, drooling, diffixculty breathing, colic, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, widely-dilated pupils, paralysis, heart problems, central nervous system disorders that include seizures and tremors.

8. Walnuts - flungus or molds in walnuts are extremely dangerous. Eating even a small portion could make your dog ill or die. Visible symptoms of walnut poisoning are vomiting, trembling, drooling, lethargy, loss of apetite, blood-tinged stool or vomit and jaundice.

Other foods to watch:

9. Except for rice, large amounts of whole grains may cause indegestion

10. Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, liver damage, indigestion, diarrhea, coma, or death.

11. Coins can be extremely dangerous. A single penny can damage red blood cells and turn fatal.

12. Raw egg whites are high in protein called Avidin that can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or dkeleton deformity.

13. Cooked bones can spinter and tear internal organs.

14. Whole vegetables like lettuce, carrots, beans, yams as they are difficult to digest.

15. Dairy products with high fat content might cause diarrhea or indegestion.

16. Nutmeg causes tremors, seizures and death

17. Diet products containing Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures.

18. Macadamia nuts can cause weakeness, muscle tremor and paralysis.

19. Too much salt, fat, ham, bacon or liver will cause disorders like kidney problems, bloating, pancreatitis, gas, indigestion, deformity of bones, weight loss and anorexia.

If you know of other's please share them with us so we can protect our little guys and gals covered in fur.

Wow, what a list, but I was surprised at some of the things listed and it made me more aware of what we were feeding her alot more.
Most people try to be safe and aware of what their children are eating but pets aren't always so particular what they eat and we let them eat alot more than we should. I know that some people don't feed their pets any thing but pet food from a bag or can and that's fine if they feel strongly about it.
I'm just from the group that always tasted my babies formula or any babyfood before I fed it to them to see what it was like and if I couldn't stand it I didn't feed it to them. I also know (especially after some extended hospital stays) how boring it is to eat the same thing day after day. (Jello and unsalted chicken or beef broth isn't my cup of tea for sure).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

"What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander."
RJM