| Even though Americans
spend over $10 billion a year on pet food, people just can’t help
indulging their animals with human food as a “special treat.”
Those puppy eyes, the floppy ears- there’s really no way to resist
giving them just a little taste under the table. But what is safe
for a human’s stomach may not be safe for an animal’s.
Sharing human food with pets is not good practice for an animal’s
diet and can, in some cases, be fatal.
Rich foods that are high in fat, such as meats with heavy gravy
or sauces, can cause discomfort and stomach pain in pets. During
the holidays, veterinarians commonly see an increased number of
cases of stomach problems and pancreatitis. The story veterinarians
often hear during the holiday season is of a pet sniffing out
a juicy turkey or some savory stuffing, overeating and then becoming
sick. Classic signs of an irritated or inflamed pancreas include
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
Onions and garlic, while safe for humans, contain the toxic ingredient
thiosulphate, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia
in cats and dogs. Onions present the highest risk of toxicity
to pets, as just a single serving can result in anemia. Garlic,
however, is less toxic than onions and it requires a large amount
of garlic to cause a dog or cat to become ill. Some studies even
show that small amounts of garlic can actually be beneficial to
the health of dogs (such as in canine nutritional supplements).
Grapes and raisins are another human food to avoid giving pets.
To date, veterinarians have not discovered the exact reasoning
why they are so dangerous to animals. Little has been linked to
the type, brand or amount consumed, but it has been shown that
grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in pets.
As most pet owners know, chocolate is the biggest no-no for animals.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that acts as a cardiac
stimulant and a diuretic. Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are
the most toxic forms as they contain ten times the amount of theobromine
than milk chocolate. A 22 pound dog can be seriously affected
by ingesting just a quarter of a packet of cocoa powder or half
a block of cooking chocolate. Giving your pup a piece of chocolate
cake or even letting him lick the chocolate icing on the cake
could cause him to become ill. Additionally, when a dog or cat
is affected by an overdose of chocolate they can become hyperactive.
The diuretic affect of chocolate may cause the dog or cat to pass
excessive volumes of urine and the animal may be unusually thirsty.
Even more dangerous, theobromine can cause a dog or cat’s heart
to beat very rapidly or irregularly, which could result in death
if the pet is exercising or overly active.
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