Picking safe treats for pets
PET BULLETIN
‘Mews and Yips’ from the Central Aroostook Humane Society
Carolyn L. Cheney
Board of Directors
We hope that everyone will come out to the Forum on April 17 and 18 for the Home & Small Business Show. The Central Aroostook Humane Society will be set up in the Forum’s entryway and would love to have you stop by and check out our booth. We will be selling shelter merchandise, yummy dog treats and even some human treats. It’s always wonderful to have folks stop by and share their pet stories. All donations and proceeds go for the care of the animals. We hope to see you there!
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, 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 methyl xanthine. If animals ingest this chemical they can become very sick with vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and other unwanted problems.
Grapes, raisins and currants 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 would expand in the stomach. Macadamia nuts and the artificial sweetener called xylitol used in various products — 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. It is a wonderful time to adopt, with spring and summer coming. Our hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing for lunch noon to 12:30 p.m.
Remember to be responsible, spay and neuter your pets!
