Not all food meant for pets
Carolyn L. Cheney
Board of Directors
Central Aroostook Humane Society
Forbidden foods for our four-legged friends are many and can be very dangerous if ingested. Sometimes, we give our pets leftovers or what we consider treats. According to the Animal Planet website, some of the human foods can make an animal very sick and, in certain cases, be lethal.
Raw meat and bones should not be given to animals. Uncooked meat may transmit E-coli, and meat bones can cause serious problems for dogs by splintering, create an intestinal blockage or tears in the digestive system. The best bet is to buy rawhide bones for your dog to enjoy. I never thought of onion and garlic causing problems for pets, but these seasonings can cause gastro irritations. This is more prevalent among cats than dogs.
Beer and wine are extremely harmful for pets to drink. Don’t ever give your pet some beer to see how he will act. It is cruel and could make your animal very ill. Food and drink items containing caffeine/ chocolate should never be given to animals as they contain the chemical methylxanthine. If animals ingest this chemical they can become very sick with vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and other unwanted problems. Unfortunately,
I had some personal experience with an animal ingesting cocoa. A number of years ago, we were given a 4-year-old Keeshond named Noble. Now Noble was a wonderful family dog, but he came with a few bad habits. He liked to open cupboard doors, among other things. I came home from work one day and noticed the cellar door was open, and Noble was in the cellar shaking all over and had diarrhea. I looked around and saw an empty cocoa can. That can was almost full, and he had eaten all the contents. There wasn’t much medically we could do for him but sit with him and try to keep him calm. He came out of it after about 12 hours, but it was a worrisome and scary night.
Grapes, raisins and currents can be toxic to our four-legged friends. Fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, bananas and seedless watermelons are fine. It is important that we don’t give them fruits which have pits as the pits can lodge in their throats.
I have never thought of yeast dough being a problem for a dog or cat, but if you have dough rising in a bowl in your kitchen, and your animals are as curious as some of mine have been, make sure they cannot get into the dough bowl. The dough can cause some serious problems as it expands in their stomach. Macadamia nuts and the artificial sweetener called xylital used in various products, including cookies, gum and most diet products, can cause a very serious reaction in a pet.
I think we all need to be very careful when we give our animals treats.
Please visit us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Unfortunately, we have over 150 cats and kittens, and we are desperate to find good homes for these animals. Because of the number of cats and kittens we now have, we are offering an adoption rate of only $15. Applications need to be filled out, and if the cat you chose has not been spayed or neutered, you will need to leave a $100 deposit which will be refunded to you after the animal has been fixed.
