by Vernice Cates

Created on: March 11, 2007   Last Updated: May 06, 2007

There are so many good things for dogs to eat that sometimes we forget or just are not aware of some of the foods that pose a danger to our pets.

Some dogs are like part of the family and we end up feeding them pretty much what we eat and think nothing of it. Not only can this cause our pets to gain a lot of weight but we run the risk of also poisoning them. Thats something I am sure that no one as a per owner or animal lover would ever consciously do but it is possible.

For instance how many times have you been eating grapes and your dog does that cute little begging scene, I mean come on how can you resist that? You throw him a grape and he gulps it down readily enough, and 5 minutes later he is back begging again, and so on and so forth until you end up feeding him multiple grapes. It's just a snack you tell yourself, no harm done, fruits are healthy snacks after all. They are for a human. And heres where what you don't know can hurt your animal.

Grapes and or raisins can be toxic to a dog. As little as 7 grapes or raisins can be toxic to a dog. The toxicity of raisins or grapes in a dog can cause acute renal failure...now knowing that, they don't seem quite the healthy snack anymore, do they?

Ever ponder that your dog is in pain or had a fever? Ever consider giving him or her Ibuprofen? While Ibuprofen for adults has the properties known to reduce inflammation and also to relieve pain and fever, in a dog it can cause stomach and kidney problems and even impact the pets nervous system causing such symptoms as shaking, seizures or depression. So always keep the pills out of the way of puppies who might chew into a bottle and never give as a pain reliever to your dog. If your dog does ingest call a poison control center and make the pet vomit.

Okay, by now you think well surely acetaminophen won't hurt him? Well there again there is the possibility of liver failure in your pet and also the face and hands can swell as well. So no acetaminophen either!

Some people like to reward their pets with chocolate which can be toxic to an animal as well. Chocolate contains a high quantity of caffeine and theobromine, this can lead to excitement and possible seizures in your pet. The need for a vet is very important as the chemical theobromine can take awhile to wear out of a pets system and can also be very hard on their heart.

Ever catch a dog trying to snitch a drink of cleaning water or from the mop bucket? For some reason dogs are also drawn to cleaners some of which have enticing citrus smells. Bleach though a common household cleaner can be poisonous to a pet, it can also cause skin and eye irritations so a bath is warranted if there is any skin exposure and flushing of the eyes should occur as well.

Wow thats a lot of stuff to protect the little guy or gal from isn't it? Well when you think that they depend on you for so much it seems such a small job to keep them safe and keep them happy! After all pets are such a large part of a family, we all depend on them a great deal as well.

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