Why dogs should never eat chocolate

Dogs Eating Chocolate

Dogs and chocolate is not a good combination. Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine. Theobromine is found in the cocoa bean and causes increased urination and affects the nervous system and heart. It is a chemical stimulant that belongs in the same category as caffeine and theophylline.

Most chocolates vary with the amount of theobromine they contain, but even a small dose can create a large problem for your dog and can make him very sick. There is no known antidote to cure a dog with chocolate poisoning, so it is very important to take him to the veterinarian as soon as possible if he has eaten chocolate.

Symptoms may not appear for a few hours, and may be confused with a different illness. The longer chocolate stays in your dog’s system without treatment, the more damage it will do. Chocolate poisoning may eventually lead to cardiac arrest.

Symptoms to look out for include:

- Vomiting

- Diarrhea

- Hyperactivity

- Restlessness

- Increased water consumption

- Increased urination

- Panting

- Muscle spasms

- Increased heart rate

- Blue/grey colored gums

Types Of Chocolate

The amount of theobromine varies in different types of chocolate. Certain types of chocolate may not pose a serious risk for your dog, but may just give him a bout of diarrhea and vomiting. However, some types of chocolate may cause serious damage and lead to death if they do not get treatment right away.

The following list shows the types of chocolate from least harmful to most dangerous:

- White chocolate

- Milk chocolate

- Semi-sweet chocolate

- Baker’s (unsweetened) chocolate

White chocolate contains roughly 1mg of theobromine per ounce of chocolate, while baker’s chocolate contains about 465mg of theobromine per ounce. This is a huge difference, and will be a very important factor in the symptoms your dog may show.

If you suspect your dog may have eaten chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately.

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate

There are a few steps to treatment to help your dog’s case of chocolate poisoning. Some may be minor treatments, depending on how much chocolate and what kind was eaten. Always contact a veterinarian or animal poison control and follow proper procedures.

The first step to treating dogs eating chocolate is to collect some information before calling animal poison control or the vet.

-  What kind of chocolate did your dog eat? Candy bar? Baking chocolate? White chocolate?

- What breed is your dog?

- How much does your dog weigh?

- Is there evidence around? This will help to show serving sizes on the packaging.

- Has your dog shown any symptoms?

- How long has it been since he ate the chocolate?

- What kind of symptoms is he portraying?

 

Next, you will likely have to induce vomiting. This is recommended for the first few hours that your dog consumed chocolate. If it has been longer than 12 hours, you should not induce vomiting because it may damage your dog’s esophagus.

For more information about dogs eating chocolate, symptoms, treatment options and more, visit www.dogsandchocolate.net

(this guest post is courtesy of Ciara Black of the Dog Help Network)

Pet Allergy Information

If your dog or cat suffers from allergies, you'll find good information on  the different causes of pet allergies in the following guest post written by Ciara Black of the Dog Help Network.

Dog Allergies

About 40% of dogs suffer from allergies everyday.The number one difference between human allergies and dog allergies is that your dog has no way of telling you whatʼs wrong. It is important to monitor your dog for changes in his behavior.

Allergies in dogs can be respiratory, as in humans, but are usually more common on the skin. About 20% of dogʼs itching and scratching comes from an allergy.

It could be a change in your dogʼs environment, a new dog food, or something a little more difficult to determine. Some allergies are very minor, but still require treatment.

Leaving a dog to deal with an allergy on his own could cause serious health issues down the road. There are five known types of dog allergies.

Flea allergies

Fleas themselves are a huge pain not only for the dog, but for the owner as well. Whatʼs even worse than having a dog with fleas is having a dog with a flea allergy. Dogs actually cause more damage to themselves than the actual fleas, because of constant itching and scratching.

Contrary to popular belief, a flea bite is not the irritator. A fleaʼs saliva is what causes the reaction in your dogʼs skin.

The most common side effect of a flea allergy is itching or biting on the lower back, right above the tail.

Contact allergies

This is the least common allergy in dogs. Contact allergies are when a dog develops a sensitivity or irritation caused by objects that his skin comes in contact with. These things could be every day items such as the wool from his bed or the chrome from his collar. Have you recently given your dog a bath and noticed excessive scratching? It could be from the shampoo you used.

The most common side effects from a contact allergy are redness, swelling and bumps around the lips, muzzle or abdomen.

Bacterial allergies

It is normal for your dog to have several different species of bacteria living on his skin. Usually, the bacteria does not pose a problem for your dog. In some cases, if the immune system is weak or there are open wounds on the fur, bacterial infections may occur and cause an allergic reaction.

Bacteria allergies can be pretty unpleasant to treat, but luckily symptoms are very noticeable and can be diagnosed right away.

If you have a dog with multiple skin rolls, such as a Pug or a Bulldog, he will likely be more susceptible to bacterial allergies. Take extra care in cleaning in between those rolls!

Inhalant allergies

An inhalant allergy is actually the most common allergy in dogs. Inhalant allergies may be seasonal, just like in humans. Some inhalant allergens may be year round and require antibiotics to treat the excessive itching, among other symptoms.

Inhalant allergies are usually for life. Sometimes treatment can be as simple as removing the allergen from your dogʼs environment. Other times, inhalant allergies are too severe to treat at home. Talk to your veterinarian about hyposensitization against specific allergens to avoid constant suffering for your dog.

Food allergies

Dog allergies count for about 10% of all allergies seen in dogs. Most times, a dog owner will mistake a food allergy for food intolerance. A dog food allergy can develop anywhere from 5 months to 12 years of age. Dogs are not likely to be born with an allergy to food, but rather develop an allergy to food they have eaten for a long period of time.

A veterinarian will perform an elimination test to determine the exact cause of your dogʼs allergy.

You can learn more about dog allergies, their symptoms, treatments and even home remedies at www.dogallergiesresource.com

Keeping your dog's teeth clean

The following is a guest article written by Ciara Black of the Dog Help Network on cleaning your dog's teeth.  I hope you find it helpful.

Information On Professional Dog Teeth Cleaning

Dog teeth cleaning is just as important as regular nail clipping and grooming. Often times, the teeth are neglected and this can lead to serious health issues down the road. Having your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned before attempting to do a full clean at home is usually recommended to rid the teeth of excess plaque and tartar. This can also be beneficial in whitening the teeth, freshening breath and detecting oral health problems early.

Many people can be against having their dog’s teeth professionally cleaned because of the use of anesthesia. Although there are generally not many side effects associated with using anesthesia for teeth cleaning, there are some risks that need to be understood before committing to the process.

Pros of cleaning under anesthesia

Before your dog is given anesthesia, there are a few things the veterinarian will check beforehand. Blood work is done to determine whether or not your dog can be put under. If you have an older dog, or a dog of a smaller breed, anesthesia can be a little more risky.

Having your dog’s teeth cleaned professionally can be very beneficial. There are a number of positive reasons for having your dog’s teeth cleaned under anesthesia.

-  Having your dog’s teeth cleaned without anesthesia means that the cleaning is generally not as thorough.

-  Some dental problems may not be found if there are no X-rays done.

-  Anesthesia-free cleaning does not remove plaque below the gum line. The gum line is where plaque and tartar build the most and can cause abscess and tooth loss. There is no way to remove plaque without the use of anesthesia.

-  While your dog is under, your vet may do other tests to screen for cancers and other serious problems in the mouth.

Pre-anesthetic work is taken very seriously as well. Blood work, heart monitoring and health risks are all a part of the pre-examination.

Risks of cleaning under anesthesia

The risks involved in cleaning your dog’s teeth are not overly threatening. The benefits of having your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned outweigh the risks involved. A thorough cleaning from a pet dental hygienist will decrease the risks involved when cleaning your dog’s teeth at home.

Most risks can be avoided with proper education on how to clean your dog’s teeth and best practices to use between veterinarian visits. Even though it is not likely that anything serious will happen during a routine teeth cleaning, it is important to understand the risks involved.

-  Allergic reaction to anesthesia is uncommon, but may occur. If a dog’s temperature elevates rapidly and the heart rate is increased, medication is given to immediately prevent cardiac arrest.

-  Anesthesia is not recommended for older dogs, or dogs with health issues. Older dogs are known to react negatively to anesthesia, and dogs with illnesses may become weaker or prone to secondary illnesses.

-  Nausea and vomiting. After the procedure is over, your dog may experience some dizziness or vomiting. This can increase if your dog is fed within 12 hours of being placed under anesthesia.

-  Damage to oral tissue has been known to occur. However, the risk of damaging the gums is even higher when no anesthesia is used.

Talk to your veterinarian if you have any concerns about having your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned. It will benefit in the long run, but there are always cautions to keep in mind.

For more information about dog teeth, how to clean your dog’s teeth and more, visit www.dogteethhelp.com

When your dog is throwing up

There are many reasons for dog vomiting. He may have eaten something spoiled, eaten too fast for his stomach to handle, or it could be because of a hidden illness. A dog’s stomach can only hold so much food and water at a time, so changing his meal schedule may be a simple fix to your dog’s vomiting. However, a dog or puppy vomiting might be from a more serious condition, and needs to be treated right away.

It is important to determine what is causing your dog’s vomiting, even if it is as simple as too many table scraps. It could potentially be a life-threatening problem and could eventually lead to extreme dehydration, organ failure and intestinal problems. Take your dog to the veterinarian if your dog has been vomiting more than twice in one hour.

There are a few steps to follow when checking your dog’s vomit. Other things to look for may be behavioral changes and symptoms such as fever, panting and pale gums. These are very serious indicators that your dog could be very sick. Always take your dog to the vet before attempting to treat his vomiting at home.

Dog Vomiting Checklist

Check your dog’s vomit. It may be unpleasant, but it is important to make sure there is not blood in his vomit. It may look like coffee-grounds or may be bright red. There may be different causes for blood in your dog’s vomit. Sometimes it is due to tearing inside the stomach, sometimes it is caused by problems in the lungs or throat.

Be sure to check for other colored vomit such as white foam or yellow substance.

Check for a fever. This can be done by feeling his nose and under his armpits and stomach area. Check the nose for dryness as well. This can be a sign of a serious illness, so you should take your dog to the vet if he has a fever along with vomiting.

Keep an eye on your dog’s behavior. Symptoms of lethargy or aggression may be caused by serious illnesses such as rabies or kennel cough. Usually there are other symptoms present when your dog’s behavior suddenly becomes off. Look for symptoms such as loss of appetite, panting, coughing, signs of pain, discharge or diarrhea.

Change his eating habits. Do you notice he eats too quickly? Does he eat grass every time he is let outside? Neither of these causes are serious and can be easily monitored and treated.

What To Do

If your dog’s case of vomiting is more serious, your dog may be prescribed antibiotics to fight off infection. Cases such as spoiled foods or dead animals may be cause for antibiotics to avoid salmonella and E. coli as well. If your dog has a mild case of vomiting, he may be given some Tylenol, Immodium or Pepto Bismol.

You should take away any food if your dog is vomiting frequently. You can offer ice chips to keep him hydrated. This should only happen once your dog has stopped vomiting. If your dog tolerates the ice chips, keep at it for 4-6 hours to ensure vomiting has subsided. You can then offer him some water with pedialyte or diluted chicken broth.

Once your dog has kept down water for up to 12 hours, you can introduce bland meals. These include plain oatmeal, boiled hamburger and brown rice. Over the next few days, if vomiting has stopped, you can gradually reintroduce your dog’s regular food.

For more information about dog vomiting, causes, treatment options, home remedies and more, visit www.dogvomitinghelp.com

(this  guest post courtesy of Ciara Black of the Dog Help Network)

My review of Orijen cat food

The good people at Mr. Chewy.com asked if I would be willing to try an Orijen pet product of my choice in exchange for my review of the product.  With 4 pets, free pet food is always welcome, but I am also very particular about my pet's food, so I looked over Orijen's ingredients carefully before agreeing to try it.

I found the list of ingredients in the Orijen products very impressive and chose to try their cat and kitten dry cat food for the test since my one cat Gidget is particularly fussy about food and doesn't like change.  Mr. Chewy sent the food out right away and it arrived in 2 days.  As soon as I opened the bag, I noticed a good aroma and apparently so did both cats as they got up from their naps to check it out.  The kibble has a moistness, much more so than other kibbles I've tried.  Both Gidget and Lola dug right into the new food with no hesitation.  They usually eat a small bit, leave and return later to graze some more, but with the Orijen food they finished their bowls completely.  This speaks volumes to me that it not only smells good to my human nose but also tastes great to my finicky felines.

Here is a list of ingredients:  Boneless chicken, chicken meal, boneless salmon, turkey meal, chicken liver, herring meal, russet potato, chicken fat, sweet potato, peas, boneless walleye, whole eggs, boneless turkey, boneless lake whitefish, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, boneless herring, organic kelp,  pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens,  apples, cranberries, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, niacin, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, Vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Thanks to Mr.Chewy giving me this free trial, I have found a new food for my kitties, and I'll be ordering their dog food as well when it's time to buy again.  I hope sharing my experience with Mr. Chewy and Orijen pet food is helpful to all you pet lovers.