Dogs and Thanksgiving

[gen3flygirl]

With Thanksgiving and other holidays just around the corner I want to remind you guys to keep an eye on your pets. We almost lost one of our dogs a few years ago because he got in the trash and ate onions that we're thrown away. The have the same effect as chocolate and raisins. We tend to get distracted with family and don't always think to keep an eye on our four legged friends. Make sure you properly dispose of turkey bones, take trash out as soon as possible, and keep an eye on kids who think rover wants to share their dessert.

[gen3flygirl]

1. Bones: It seems counter-intuitive, we know, but bones are bad for dogs. Carmela Stamper, D.V.M., a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, said, “Bones are unsafe, no matter what their size. Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian’s office later, possible emergency surgery or even death. Make sure you throw out bones from your own meals in a way that your dog can’t get to them.”

2. Raw or undercooked turkey: One reason: salmonella bacteria. You can get sick from handling raw food, and even though you may believe your dog’s stomach is iron-clad – it’s not.

3. Turkey skin: Seems harmless enough, right? It’s just the skin. But, as blogs.dogtime.com puts it, “High-fat foods, such as turkey skin and gravy, can be hazardous to your dog. Since the skin is hard to digest, it can lead to pancreatitis (symptoms are vomiting, extreme depression, reluctance to move and abdominal pain).”

The skin isn’t good for you either, so it’s best to throw it away and make more room for the mashed potatoes and gravy.

4. Dough and cake batter: It may sound like an urban legend, but the combination of raw dough and your dog’s body heat can actually cause the dough to rise inside his stomach. Bestbullysticks.com says this can result in vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating. Not to mention that the batter used in cakes and pies has raw eggs, which could contain salmonella bacteria. If you’re making a cake or pie, make sure your dog is not in the kitchen and, clean up any scraps or droppings that hit the floor right away.

5. Beer: Dogs love beer – well, mine do – but this doesn’t mean you should share a cold one with your dog. Beer can really do a number on your dog’s stomach.

“Alcohol, especially the hops in beer, can be particularly harmful to dogs, causing intoxication, panting, fever, racing heart, liver damage, even coma, seizures and death,” according to bestbullysticks.com.

6. Walnuts and macadamia nuts: These two nuts in particular are very bad for your dog. In fact, they could cause a toxic reaction called macadamia nut toxicosis. Dogblogtimes.com says, “Within twelve hours of eating the nuts, dogs can start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand, ataxia (walking wobbly), depression, vomiting, muscle tremors, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness and an elevated heart rate. Usually the symptoms go away within 48 hours but the weakness, vomiting and fear can lead to dangerous, and sometimes deadly, shock.”

7. Mushrooms: Fungi are good for you, but bad for your dog. Should your dog ingest mushrooms, you can expect a slew of unwelcome symptoms that could become quite severe. Bestbullysticks.com says mushrooms can damage a number of internal organs, including kidneys, liver and the central nervous system. If your dog eats mushrooms, you can expect seizures, coma, vomiting and possibly death.

8. Onions and garlic: These two culprits are always on the list of foods your dog should not eat and for very good reason. They make your dog sick, period. Here’s why: These ingredients contain sulfides, which are toxic to dogs and can cause the destruction of red blood cells leading to Heinz body anemia.

9. Sage: This multi-purpose herb is used in countless recipes and for cleansing a new home, but to a dog, sage is bad. It contains essential oils and resins that can upset a dog’s stomach and do a number on his central nervous system.

10. Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a sneaky spice. Found in sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie and most desserts, nutmeg has mild hallucinogenic properties that when ingested by your dog can cause, “seizures, tremors and central nervous system problems. In severe cases, shock and death have been reported,” according to blogs.dogtime.com. Note that both pumpkin and sweet potatoes are good for your dog; just make sure no nutmeg is on them before you share them with your dog.

It didn’t make our list, but chocolate is very, very bad for dogs. It’s not on the list because it should be a given for every pet parent – don’t feed your dog chocolate.

The best way to keep your dog safe is to have plenty of his food on hand as well as treats. Also, ask your guests not to feed your dog human food. And give your dog plenty of exercise. A tired dog is a good dog.

[redkow97]

dogs can survive a lot, but it's usually not fun when they get into the items mentioned.

somehow my beagle mutt; who can barely get his paws up on our counter, managed to take out a full pound of frozen ground beef (and much of the foam packaging) while we had it out to thaw.

he was a little sluggish afterward, but the bigger bitch was the 4 days of nasty liquid poo.

[Casper]

Dogs can't eat onions!?!? My dog loves onions. And beer? Well let's just say my dogs are snobs. Even they won't drink Bud Light.

[gen3flygirl]

Dogs can't eat onions!?!? My dog loves onions. And beer? Well let's just say my dogs are snobs. Even they won't drink Bud Light.

Your dogs are pretty big so it would take alot. Our was a little guy and he ate a bunch of them. It is really scary having a dog just pass out with his eyes rolled in the back of his head. We ended up taking him to an emergency vet clinic where he got a blood transfusion. Those places aren't cheap to start.

[SWing'R]

Didnt know about the onions, thanks.

[Beegreenstrings]

Come on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGQ77-K-b5Q

The new pup (Grissom) and the fiance in the recliner at my mom and dads Thanksgiving sunday...

*edit... My families thanksgiving was sunday

Edited November 22, 2011 by Beegreenstrings

[baptizo]

Those are all good to remember, thanks for sharing.

[20thGix]

My Golden retriever once got up on our counter and ate 36 raw sausage patties. The rest of that day and next you could tell he may have been thinking that was a bad idea. But i would bet money given the chance he would do it again.

Another time my father-in-law gave him a freeze dried pig heart. Ooh man was that not a good idea. So picture this....a dog standing in the middle of the living room kinda looking at his own butt. Then all of a sudden the explosive diareha comes on full bore! Everytime it shot out it would scare him and he would spin around like a revolving salad shooter. The look on my dogs face after was like WTF just happened!

I know even changing thier dog food without mixing it into the new slowly will screw with them. So pretty much giving them a whole lot of anything they are not used to will make them somewhat sick. I guess thats what they get for eating the same thing everyday.

[redkow97]

It is really scary having a dog just pass out with his eyes rolled in the back of his head. We ended up taking him to an emergency vet clinic where he got a blood transfusion. Those places aren't cheap to start.

I'll be "that guy" and hock my wife's employer:

http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/

It's an Ohio-based company, and they really are pretty awesome. Unlike other pet insurance companies, they cover most "genetic defects," like hip displasia(sp) in German Shepherds, and other hereditary conditions.

What they don't cover are "pre-existing conditions," with a few exceptions. Basically you can't buy insurance today, and then call up tomorrow claiming your dog broke he leg a few days later. They're not dumb.

In my dog's case, he had a broken leg when he adopted him. He still had a 30 or 60 day waiting period before he was eligible for coverage, but during that time, we had a vet sign off that his leg was totally healed, and the previous injury would not be the basis for further injuries. Thus his previously broken leg is 100% covered.

Most dogs are $30 a month or so for full coverage. It may be more for some breeds.

And you do have the option to get "accident" coverage only, which covers things like car strikes () but not basic illness.

There is a deductible of $300-$500, but trust me, that is getting off very easy if your dog has any kind of serious problem.

You can check out their "claim of the week" on facebook. Typically people pay their $500, and the other $1500 or $2500 is picked up by Embrace.

I would estimate that 90% of their customers are people who just really love their dogs and cats, but they also have a deal with Cabela's for hunting dogs. With that much time invested in training a dog, it's well worth it.

[Beegreenstrings]

Our larger springer that just passed this year.

Once he ate raw hamburger patties as I was headed out the door to the grill. He snuck them right off the plate.

He ate raw chicken breast (paid for that one for two days)

[TheBrown57]

I'll be "that guy" and hock my wife's employer:

http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/

It's an Ohio-based company, and they really are pretty awesome. Unlike other pet insurance companies, they cover most "genetic defects," like hip displasia(sp) in German Shepherds, and other hereditary conditions.

What they don't cover are "pre-existing conditions," with a few exceptions. Basically you can't buy insurance today, and then call up tomorrow claiming your dog broke he leg a few days later. They're not dumb.

In my dog's case, he had a broken leg when he adopted him. He still had a 30 or 60 day waiting period before he was eligible for coverage, but during that time, we had a vet sign off that his leg was totally healed, and the previous injury would not be the basis for further injuries. Thus his previously broken leg is 100% covered.

Most dogs are $30 a month or so for full coverage. It may be more for some breeds.

And you do have the option to get "accident" coverage only, which covers things like car strikes () but not basic illness.

There is a deductible of $300-$500, but trust me, that is getting off very easy if your dog has any kind of serious problem.

You can check out their "claim of the week" on facebook. Typically people pay their $500, and the other $1500 or $2500 is picked up by Embrace.

I would estimate that 90% of their customers are people who just really love their dogs and cats, but they also have a deal with Cabela's for hunting dogs. With that much time invested in training a dog, it's well worth it.

damn that sounds nice my step mom has a toy poodle that is not even 2 years old and has hereditary cataracts and is now blind in both eyes. Vet said is fixable but cost $4k I plan on getting some kind of insurance for my pets once I get some

[shittygsxr]

how about milkshakes from Graeters? My pomeranians love those things!

[chevysoldier]

My dog never got people food. It was easier that way because she wouldn't beg at the table or go through the trash.

We did that up until a day before we had to put her down, I made her a nice juicy steak, with all the seasonings. I would have given her a bigger piece, but I didn't want her to be sick when we put her down.

[Mykill]

My girl dog loves beer. In moderation of course.

[Steve Butters]

didnt know about all that stuff, just the chocolate

my 10lb miniature schnauzer ate a 1 pound chocolate santa (she even ate the aluminum foil it was wrapped in).....she was SO sick

[madcat6183]

Yeah and that whole dog vs. chocolate thing, just depends on the dog. First dog at a block of toberlin chocolate, didn't phase it. The whole thing, foil wrapper and all.

My aunt's dog, ate a can of tuna, as in the WHOLE can, had to have it removed from his intestine obviously, but that damn thing is still kicking. He's eaten so many shoes, we can't count, and I don't mean like laces, or part, as in like Anaconda style, one bite.

My dog gets a few sips of beer a week and he loves it. Namley Coors Light just like dad.

[serpentracer]

there is onion in some dog food. some people say you can't feed them all kinds of stuff that is already in dog foods.

so I don't really take too much stock in all these "rumors"

I've seen one of my dogs eat all kinds of chocolate and never get sick.

christ I know a guy that feeds his two Chihuahua's nothing but chicken nuggets. he's been doing it for many years. both of them seem happy and full of energy.

Edited November 23, 2011 by serpentracer

[gen3flygirl]

there is onion in some dog food. some people say you can't feed them all kinds of stuff that is already in dog foods.

so I don't really take too much stock in all these "rumors"

I've seen one of my dogs eat all kinds of chocolate and never get sick.

christ I know a guy that feeds his two Chihuahua's nothing but chicken nuggets. he's been doing it for many years. both of them seem happy and full of energy.

That is exactly why you should always read the label to see what you are feeding your dogs. There are foods poisonous to humans that are tolerable in small quantities.