Hills Dog Food Products
Dangers to dogs
1. Chocolate
Plain chocolate with high levels of cocoa is the worst kind for a dog to have but all chocolate is bad for dogs. We would always suggest that you don’t give your pet any chocolate at all. The chocolate contains theobromine which is a compound that is a cardiac stimulant.
Owners can think that when the dog has eaten dangerous food and the dog seems fine and is eating his own dog food then the dog is OK. However, the signs may not be seen for several hours. In extreme cases death can occur within 24 hours.
Some of the symptoms to look for are staggering, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, laboured breathing, seizure and some cases death. Dogs will eat almost anything you give them and so we would always suggest that they are only given dog food and dog treats rather than any human food.
2. Onion and garlic
Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are extremely dangerous to dogs and should be kept away from them at all times. If your dog has eaten an onion the onion toxicity can develop haemolytic anaemia which is where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating the body.
There are many symptoms of this which include laboured breathing, liver damage, vomiting and diarrhoea. As with chocolate the symptoms may not be apparent for a while. In some cases the symptoms from onions can be apparent in a couple of days.
Garlic is less toxic but can still cause the dog problems and again we would say to not feed this to the dog but to stay with the standard dog food. However, you can buy garlic tablets or capsules for dogs from any good online pet products retailer such as Swell Pets.co.uk. One of the makers is Johnson’s and they have designed the product specifically for dogs.
3. Grapes and raisins
Even a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill. The symptoms are very similar to the others and are easily spotted. However the consumption of large quantities of grapes has been known to cause acute kidney failure and potentially death.
There are many human foods that are not good for dogs and we have only listed three of them. The best way to know your dog will be OK with the food he eats is to make sure they are only fed their own dog food, such as Hills Science Plan dog food and dog treats such as pointer dog biscuits. This way you will know what they eat is safe. If you think your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t, always contact your vet immediately.
About the Author
Karren Newton is a pet advisor for Swell Pets. Swell Pets is a leading online pet products retailer who stock items such as Fish 4 Dogs treats and Eukanuba dog food.
PawsAbout Pet Boutique and Dog Grooming Salon Eastern Suburbs