10 Foods You Should Never Give To Your Dog

10 Foods You Should Never Give Your Dog

Surely a treat from your plate is harmless to your dog, right? The answer to that is based on what’s in your food. Actually, the majority of food people eat should never be given to a dog. A majority of food eaten by humans can be fatal for man’s best friend.

There are several food types that should never be fed to a dog under any circumstances. While some breeds are more tolerant of certain foods, this list of restricted foods is applicable to all dogs:

1.  Raisins And Grapes

Avoid feeding raisins and grapes to dogs as a treat. A toxin found in grapes may result in kidney failure and severe liver damage. Even a little bit can cause illness for a dog. Consistent regurgitation is an early symptom. Within 24 hours, your pet will become depressed and lethargic. Prevent your dog from consuming raisins and grapes by keeping them off tables, counters, and other easily accessible places.

2.  Garlic And Onions

Garlic and onions come in many forms – raw, powdered, dehydrated or cooked. They can damage the red blood cells of a dog, causing anemia. This can happen even if they taste baby food containing onion powder. A sporadic taste should be harmless, but a large amount ingested on a regular basis will poison the animal. Anemia symptoms include vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite, breathlessness and dullness.

3.  Avocado

Never give guacamole or anything made from avocado to your pet. Avocados contain an ingredient called persin, and a significant amount can be toxic to your dog. If there are avocados in your garden, ensure that your dog can’t access those plants. Be mindful that persin can be found in seeds, leaves, and even bark.

4.  Alcohol

Liquor, beer, wine, and foods containing alcohol are very bad for dogs. Alcohol can be destructive to a dog’s brain and liver. Even the slightest amount can induce diarrhea, vomiting, coordination problems, central nervous system depression, comatose states, breathing difficulties, and even death. The smaller the dog, the more disastrous the outcome.

5.  Dairy Products

On a summer day, giving your dog a lick of ice cream might seem like a treat, but unfortunately, milk-based products can result in digestive upsets and allergic reactions. Dogs are lactose intolerant, and their bodies lack enough lactase enzymes to digest dairy foods properly. If your dog must have ice cream, ensure it’s made from lactose-free ingredients.

6.  Candy And Gum

Gum, candy, baked goods and even toothpaste are sweetened with xylitol, which can cause dogs to release an abundance of insulin. This can result in a sudden drop in blood sugar, and may cause liver failure. Primary symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, and loss of coordination. At some point, the animal may suffer from seizures.

7.  Chocolate

It’s common knowledge that chocolate is unhealthy for dogs. Caffeine, theophylline and theobromine are ingredients that can be found in all types of chocolate, including dark and white. In fact, dark chocolate, unsweetened baking chocolate and chocolate mulch are the most deadly kinds of chocolate to a dog. Even the slightest lick of a bowl of icing can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. Consumption of chocolate may lead to tremors, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, and death.

8.  Bones And Fat Trimmings

Though it might seem right to give a dog a bone, your pet might actually choke on it. Chewed-on bones can splinter, obstructing or lacerating their digestive systems. Additionally, meat fat lingering on bones are hazardous to dogs. Fat trimmings on meat, either uncooked or cooked, can result in pancreatitis.

9.  Peaches, Persimmons and Plums

Seeds found in persimmons can induce inflammation of a dog’s intestines. If a dog eats the pit from a plum or peach, it may obstruct their intestines. Additionally, cyanide can be found in plum and peach pits, which is poisonous to both dogs and humans.

10.  Salt

Never share pretzels, chips, or any other salty foods with your dog. Too much consumption of salt can lead to dehydration, frequent urination, and ultimately, sodium ion poisoning. Excessive salt ingestion consequences involve diarrhea, vomiting, depression, elevated body temperature, tremors, seizures, or worse, death.

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Top 10 Dog Care Tips

There are few things in life that are more fun and rewarding than bringing a dog into your family. Your dog will offer your family years of love and loyalty — as long as you provide him with food, shelter, responsible care, and love in return.

With these 10 basic care tips tucked safely under your belt, you will be prepared to offer your pooch the best life he could ask for.

1. Give your dog an identification tag. Every pet should always wear a collar that sports an identification tag with your name, telephone number and address. It is a fact of life that dogs can sometimes get out of their houses or yards, and may need a little help getting back home. If your dog’s got some sort of identification, it will greatly increase the chances that he will be returned safely to you.

2. Talk to your veterinarian or local animal shelter about the rules and regulations governing pet ownership in your area. Know the type of licensing and vaccinations that are required to keep your pet legal and up to date on health essentials.

3. Whenever you take your dog outside the confines of his house or yard, make sure that he is on a leash. No matter how well-trained your pet might be, you cannot guarantee that you will be able to control your dog under all circumstances. Some breeds, like Siberian Huskies, are bred to run, and will do so at the first opportunity. Keeping your dog on a leash is best for you, your dog and your community.

4. Dogs are social creatures that like to be with their families, which is why it is important for your dog to spend time indoors with you. While a fenced yard and dog house are both good ideas for your pet, they cannot replace the companionship of people. Give your dog a pleasant outdoor space, but don’t leave him out there alone for long periods of time.

5. Just as people need regular checkups to stay healthy; your dog needs an annual visit to the veterinarian for a thorough examination. If you don’t have a veterinarian yet, there are plenty of resources that can help you find a good one, including the local animal shelter, or a friend who has dogs. A regular relationship with a vet is a key to maintaining your pet’s good health.

6. By spaying or neutering your pet, you are doing much more than just helping to control animal overpopulation. Dogs that are “fixed” tend to live longer and healthier lives, and have fewer behavioral problems like biting. Spaying or neutering pets should be one of your first steps on the road to responsible pet ownership.

7. A conscientious dog owner will make sure that his pet has a nutritious diet every day. Your veterinarian can recommend a food for your dog, and advise you on appropriate portions. Your dog also needs to have fresh water readily available 24-7.

8. You wouldn’t think to refrain from training a child in appropriate behavior, and your dog needs the same loving care from you. One of the best ways to learn how to train your dog using positive methods is through a training class. Not only will you learn how to properly control your pet, but you and your dog can enjoy the bonding experience as well as the opportunity to socialize with other dogs and their owners.

9. Your dog needs to stay physically fit to stay healthy, and it will be up to you to see that he gets sufficient exercise. Finding plenty of time to play with your dog, combined with a daily walk or two, should give your canine companion the level of physical activity that he needs. If you are in doubt about how much exercise is enough for your dog, you can talk to your veterinarian about what is appropriate for him.

10. You can bet that your dog is going to offer you plenty of love and loyalty, and this is primarily what he will want from you in return. It is important that you show patience when working with your dog. If he is exhibiting some behaviors that you are having trouble controlling, you can contact your veterinarian or animal shelter for additional advice and guidance.

A dog can be a wonderful addition to your family. With the proper care, he will be a welcome member of your clan for many happy, healthy years.

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Symptoms of Dog Nail Fungus

Nobody wants to see his or her dog in pain, but sometimes it can be difficult to tell when something's bothering them, like when they're suffering from the symptoms of dog nail fungus. Previously thought to be a human-only condition, nail fungus does occur in dogs as well, especially those that are exposed to damp places for an extended period of time.

What Causes Dog Nail Fungus?

Nail fungus in dogs can be caused by a variety of things. In the Midwest for example, dogs can be exposed to a microorganism called Blastomyces dermatitis. These fungal spores exist around lakes and streams, and a dog can become infected after inhaling the spores.

Like most forms of fungus, the symptoms of dog nail fungus can blossom when a dog's paws are constantly wet or damp. This is most common in dogs that are left outside for long periods of time or dogs that live in outdoor doghouses.

Diet and hygiene also play a large role in the development or prevention of nail fungus in dogs. If a dog is fed a nutritionally-poor diet, it simply isn't getting the nutrients it needs to fight off diseases and infections. Owners who don't trim their dog's nails or don't trim the hair away from them are also adding to the potential for their dog to develop a nail fungus because the long hair around the nails makes it difficult to keep the area dry.

Symptoms of Dog Nail Fungus

The symptoms of nail fungus can be difficult to identify for most pet owners because there are rarely any physical signs that the dog's nails may be infected. The primary behavior to look for is constant licking or chewing of the paws. Dogs have a natural tendency to lick or chew affected areas to try to calm the itching that's caused by the infection.

In some cases of fungal infections, the dog's nails may become brittle or discolored, but even then, that's not always a positive indicator of an infection. If you notice your dog is chewing or licking his paws or you see that his nails have changed in appearance since you last trimmed them, have a veterinarian take a look. The vet will take a sample of the nail and place it under a microscope to rule out or confirm a fungal infection.

Treating Nail Fungus Symptoms

Veterinarians usually prescribe a topical anti-fungal cream for treating the dog's nail fungus or, if the infection is severe, an oral antifungal medication may be prescribed as well. The biggest challenge with applying the cream to the nails is making sure it stays on long enough to do its job. If your dog can't control his licking habits, an Elizabethan collar will be required. This is the large, cone-shaped collar that's placed around the head of the dog to prevent it from licking the affected areas.

Preventing Future Infections

Many dog owners take the health and welfare of their dogs for granted. They believe that the dog was naturally meant to roam the outdoors, so there's nothing they need to do to help their dog stay healthy other than feed it a balanced diet. This couldn't be further from the truth. Dogs are just as easily prone to infections as humans.

To prevent future symptoms of dog nail fungus from developing, follow these simple tips:

• Give your dog a clean, dry living environment.
• Feed your dog a nutritional, balanced diet.
• Bathe your dog on a routine basis.
• Rinse and dry the dog's pads if they've been in standing water or muddy soil.
• Make routine visits to your veterinarian.

Your dog is one of your best friends and a cherished member of your family. You don't want to see him suffer from an infection that can easily br prevented. Follow these tips and you'll be doing everything you can to keep your dog happy and healthy.

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Human Foods That ARE Safe For Dogs

There are many people foods that are safe for dogs to eat!

Here are some of the most popular human foods that pet parents frequently feed their beloved friend.

• Apples (no seeds)
• Applesauce
• Apricots (no pits)
• Baby food (all-natural)
• Beef (scraps)
• Berries (fresh and frozen)
• Bouillon
• Bran cereal
• Bread (without raisins or nuts)
• Broccoli (raw)
• Carrots
• Cashews
• Cauliflower (raw)
• Celery
• Cheerios
• Cheese (American, cheddar)
• Cheese Wiz
• Chicken (cooked, no bones or skin)
• Chicken broth
• Cottage cheese
• Cream cheese
• Croutons (plain)
• Eggs (cooked)
• Flax seed (ground or oil)
• Ginger
• Green beans (canned, no salt)
• Honey
• Melons
• Mint (helps with bad breath)
• Nectarines (no pits)
• Oatmeal
• Orange slices (no rinds)
• Organ meats (giblets, liver, tongue, heart, gizzards
• Parsley
• Pasta noodles (cooked)
• Peaches
• Peanut butter (creamy or chunky, preferably all-natural)
• Peas
• Pineapple (fresh or frozen)
• Popcorn (no salt, toppings or kernals)
• Potatoes (mashed, no butter, skin or green parts)
• Pumpkin (canned)
• Rice (cooked)
• Rice cakes
• Squash
• Sunflower seeds (unsalted)
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes (no greens or stems)
• Tuna (and the juice from canned tuna)
• Turkey (cooked, no bones or skin)
• Yogurt (plain, lowfat, unflavored, unsweetened)

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Dog Teeth Cleaning & Dental Care

Does your dog have bad breath? Are their teeth clean? We take a look at the importance of proper dental care for your dog and share some tips to help ensure their mouth stays clean and healthy.

Statistics suggest that over 80% of dogs have some degree of dental disease by the time they are 3 years old. Your dog can’t tell you when he has a toothache, so it’s essential that you take steps to keep his teeth clean. While your veterinarian does play a role in keeping your dog’s sparkly whites in good health, there is much you can do at home to prevent dental disease.

CARING FOR YOUR PUPPY’S TEETH

When you bring your new canine family member home at 8 weeks of age, he’ll have a full mouth of sharp baby teeth. There isn’t anything you need to do for these teeth, but it’s a good idea to get your pup used to having his mouth examined and his teeth cleaned. Make a game of opening his mouth, looking at his teeth and giving them a gentle rub with a soft toothbrush.

His temporary teeth will start to fall out at around 4 months of age and by 7 months he’ll have all of his permanent teeth in place. This is when you need to get serious about dental care, because these teeth need to last him for the rest of his life.

DENTAL CARE FOR ADULT DOGS

One of the first indicators that your dog’s teeth need attention is that his breath smells bad. As his dental disease progresses, he may drool and paw his mouth, and he may have trouble eating.

There are a number of things you can do to keep your dog’s teeth and gums in good condition. Bearing in mind your pet uses all his teeth for different purposes, sometimes using a combination of things works best. Not all teeth will accumulate tartar at the same rate and this can be dependent on factors like how your dog chews and whether there is good alignment of the teeth.

CANINES

Dogs use their large, pointy canine teeth (fangs) at the front of the mouth for grabbing a hold of something (eg. a prey item if they were hunting, or a big bone or toy), but don’t use them for chewing. The best way to look after canines is with brushing, as these are the easiest to get to.

INCISORS

There are 12 incisors in total. These are those little single-rooted teeth at the front and are mainly used for grooming and sometimes for delicate chewing (or snipping off a mouthful of grass). These are also very easy to brush and can also be kept clean with water additives.

PREMOLARS

Behind the canines are the sharp premolars. These multi-rooted teeth are used for cutting large food items. They number 16 in total (4 on each side top and bottom). You will notice that most dogs move larger food items to the back where the cutting teeth are. The best way to keep these clean is by brushing and using a dental food or chew.

MOLARS

The larger 10 flat molars at the back are ideal for grinding up hard dry food. Using dental biscuits keeps these healthy and clean, they can be a bit tricky to brush since they are so far back.

WHAT YOU CAN USE TO KEEP YOUR PETS TEETH CLEAN

Water Additives

There are various additives you can add to your pet’s drinking water that can reduce tartar formation. They do work best as a preventative, so should ideally be introduced when your dog is young or just after a dental clean. We recommend using one that has the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval, likeHealthy Mouth.

Bones and Chews

Chewing can really help to keep your pet’s teeth healthy, particularly those premolars. But we do want to recommend safe chewing. There is certainly much debate on the safety of bones in dogs and as vets we probably see the what goes wrong with bones, more than what goes right.  We see countless broken, chipped and damaged teeth from dogs chewing bones. A bone that is strong enough to hold up a 1 tonne animal (cow), or even a 100kg animal (sheep) is pretty tough. And raw chicken bones are a huge choking hazard and with intensive chicken farming practices a great way to get a salmonella or e.coli infection.

The only chews that has the VOHC seal of approval are Greenies. Rawhides or pig’s ears and dehydrated chews are safer than bones, but may not do a particularly good job of cleaning teeth for many pets. Whatever your pet chews, they need to be able to sink their teeth right up to the gum line, so usually things like Kongs and Nylabones are not a good way to prevent periodontal disease (even though they are good for other reasons!).

Dental Diets

There are a number of diets now available to help prevent tartar formation. They help by mechanically brushing the teeth, as they are formed with larger pieces. They also have ingredients that help prevent gingivitis and the build-up of plaque. Your veterinarian may recommend a prescription dental diet like T/D. Dental diets are best fed as sole-diets, but there is still some benefit in mixing them in with your pet’s regular food. There are a number of diets that make claims to prevent dental disease, however to ensure they do what they say, we recommend choosing a diet from theVOHC list to ensure the claims are backed up by evidence.

VETERINARY CARE

If your dog is accustomed to having his mouth examined, your vet can examine his teeth every 6 months during a physical exam. It may not be possible to probe around the teeth with a dental probe to check for pockets between the tooth and gum, but your vet can assess for tartar accumulation, gingivitis and tooth fractures.

Your home care will help to prevent plaque and tartar from accumulating on your dog’s teeth but it won’t get rid of what’s already there. Even with regular brushing, as humans we need to visit the dentist every 6 months. The same goes for our pets.

A regular dental scale and polish every 6 – 12 months is the key to keeping all your pet’s teeth and avoiding unnecessary and costly dental extractions.

Once teeth have disease around the gums and significant pockets of infection around gum line, the damage to the ligaments holding the tooth in the jaw is usually irreversible, which is why sometimes teeth need to be removed. If damaged teeth aren’t removed they will just serve as a source for further infection down the track.

WHAT DOES A DENTAL INVOLVE?

When we go to the dentist we are happy to sit back in the chair, keep our mouths open and we would most likely not bite our dentist as they work. Unfortunately pets are designed a little differently, their mouths do not open as wide and even the most well behaved dog will not allow a full dental exam and clean. It is impossible to properly clean your pet’s teeth without having them under anaesthesia and safely intubated to protect their lungs from inhaling stray bits of tartar and bacteria during the clean.

When your vet cleans your pet’s teeth, the steps involved are:

• Your pet is anaesthetised and an endotracheal tube is placed to ensure no plaque, bacteria or fluid gets into your dog’s lungs.
• Each tooth and the surrounding gum is checked with specialised probe to ensure there are no deep pockets between the gum and tooth.
• Any teeth that have periodontal pockets of more than 3mm are xrayed to check the bone around the tooth.
• The teeth are scaled with an ultrasonic scaler, like what your dentist uses.
• Should any teeth be found to be unhealthy (and therefore painful) they can be removed at the same time using a local anaesthetic block, sectioning and gentle elevation to remove the tooth with minimal trauma.
• All teeth are polished to ensure the surface is smooth and less likely to attract plaque.
• Your pet is recovered from anaesthesia safely with continual nurse observation.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY PET HAS MISSING TEETH?

For most dogs, they are significantly more comfortable after having diseased and damaged teeth removed. Even if all their teeth are gone, they will have no trouble eating, in fact we find most dogs have a new leasee on life once those teeth that have been aching for years have finally been treated.

Lets face it, many pets do very little chewing anyway, dogs have evolved to get that food down fast, with just the bare minimum of mastication.

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How much exercise does your dog need?

A tired dog is a good dog. No matter the size of the dog, every pup needs a physical outlet to expend extra energy and maintain health and fitness. Regular exercise can improve your dog’s mental health and reduce some behaviors done out of anxiety or boredom. It is important to note that each animal is an individual and you need to modify your program. We must make adjustments for age, injury and be mindful of environmental conditions too, such as extreme weather.  

For a general guideline to exercise, dogs can be divided up by their breeds, or breed mixes, and what they were originally bred to do. However, remember to tailor your program to your dog’s needs.

Herding and Sporting Dogs
Both groups have very high exercise needs and should get at least 60-90 minutes of higher intensity exercise daily, twice daily is even better. These are working dogs so are easily bored, so make them work their brains! Intersperse training sessions with physical workouts to keep the routine fresh and interesting for both you and your dog.

Terriers
From the little Cairn to the larger Airedale, these dogs are generally bouncy and charismatic pooches. Although they have significant exercise requirements, these dogs are smaller than the herding and sporting members, and can get a fair amount of daily exercise around the yard. But they should get a minimum of 60-minutes exercise daily.

Hounds
This is a very diverse group that encompasses the sight hounds and scent hounds. Sight hounds like Greyhounds may have lower exercise needs, they are sprinters that release energy in quick bursts. Allow them a couple of harder sprint workouts per week. Scent hounds have higher exercise needs, similar to the herding and sporting dogs.

Toy Breeds and Brachycephalic Dogs

Many breeds fit into this category, including Poodles, Chihuahuas and Maltese. Even though these cuties are smaller than the rest, they still need exercise! They have a propensity toward obesity and often do not get the level of daily activity that they require.  They can, however, get a significant amount of exercise in a much smaller area.

These squash-faced dogs, like the Pug and Bulldogs, were not created for marathon running. A shortened muzzle and wrinkly face might be irresistible, but they impede airflow and put these dogs at risk for overheating and oxygen deprivation.

Suggested Activities

Physical activities: There are a variety of different ways to wear out the over-energized dog. Fetch is a fabulous way to exhaust a dog with minimal output of your own energy and using a tennis racket gets even greater canine wear down. Swimming is a fantastic way to reap the benefits of exercise without the dangers of repetitive impact. You may also want to start out with a dog life vest, especially if you are far from shore, it is important to always use a vest when boating with your dog.

Mental exercises: A good brain game can be almost as tiring as a long hike. Some dogs enjoy a food toy. These toys require the dog to knock the toy around to make food fall out of small holes. They can be filled with small, low calorie treats or even pieces of kibble. If your dog is scent driven, she may enjoy searching for bits of food or treats hidden throughout the house.

Exercising with your pooch helps control her weight and maintain a healthy body and mind. Remember to tailor your program to your pet, to meet her needs and maintain safety. Keep her engaged, body and mind, and you will find that you share your home with a fulfilled best friend.

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