Things You should never feed your Dog
Unfortunately, there are a number of household items which
we tend to take for granted that are potentially very
dangerous to your
dog's health. It is especially important to be aware of this
because as you know, dogs are essentially scavengers and
will often eat just about anything
they can sink their fangs into. I would say that my own dog
is more like a mobile garbage disposal. It is also very
important to be aware of these items
since their sense of smell is so well developed that your
pooch will be able to find what you may think is well
hidden.
One of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is
simple chocolate. While chocolate has been reported recently
to be high in human-friendly antioxidants,
it appears to be potentially lethal for our pets, and
particularly for our dogs. Cats are mostly unaffected since
they do not care for the taste of chocolate, but dogs tend
to
be crazy about it. Certain breeds of dogs react differently
to chocolate. The root of the problem is that chocolate
contains various chemicals which are called methylxanthine
alkaloids (some types have more of these chemicals than
others)
Sadly, relatively miniscule amounts of these chemicals are
capable of causing such serious problems as constriction of
the arteries and an increased heart rate. Large amounts may
cause even more dire symptoms and a pound of milk chocolate
could possibly kill a sixteen pound dog.
If you find that your dog has eaten chocolate then by all
means take note of the it's type and try to estimate the
amount eaten. Then get on the phone with a veternarian or an
emergency facility. Be sure that your children know how
important it is to keep chocolate out of your dog
