Archive for the ‘DOG HEALTH’ Category

Those of us who like to give children’s stuffed animals to our dogs to play with, need to be aware of possible consequences when our dogs rip them apart as mine always do;  I find stuffing all over the place.  So now I get the stuffed toys, including those made for animals, that have no stuffing or remove it.  I never give toys with button eyes or noses.

This is from the Show Dog list:

Last night at agility class, a vet, who is a fellow agility student  was telling us about a case she had this week. The dog ate a child’s teddy bear and was very sick. When she opened the dog up to remove what she thought was an  intestinal obstruction she found a huge gelatin type mess inside and the dog’s intestines were black and the tissue dead. The dog died as no surgery could fix him up as there was no living intestine left from stomach to colon.

This  was not an obstruction. …. so she called the manufacturer of the Teddy Bear on a quest to find out what the gel was and what killed the dog. Turns out the  stuffing in children’s toys contains ingredients for flame retardants and mite  control! It is designed to become a gel. It is highly toxic.  Now one would  think a child’s toy would be safe (unless it is made in China!) because it is for children, but they don’t  expect a child to eat the stuffing of the toys which is a scary thought in and of itself.   We know that dogs demolish and eat toys!

So do not give or buy your dog any children’s stuffed animals. Some people. myself included, have gotten stuffed toys at Goodwill. but no morel.  Make sure all your the toys you buy for your dogs are made for dogs.

Please pass this on and help avoid another dog dying a horrible death that can be avoided.

Raisins:  with the holiday season upon us, please remember that raisins, even a few, can be fatal to dogs.  Please pass this word along.

Chocolate: while great for hormonal women, chocolate can be fatal to our dogs.  If you have a dog like my Snoop who grazes on top of counter, coffee tables, and pantry shelves, please be very careful of putting chocolate, even in boxes or wrapped in foil, out.  I have used hydrogen peroxide on my Snoop a couple of times now after spotting hershey kisses foil.  Serves him right!  I still have not forgiven him for the missing T bone!  I walked out of the kitchen for only a second on Thanksgiving leaving my unstuffed turkey on the counter only to return and witness Snoop pulling on one wing of the turkey while Wendy has the other. Looked like the turkey was being drawn and quartered.  I almost quartered the both of them!  However, a quick rinse under the sink and the still unblemished turkey was good to be spatchcocked (yes a real word and a real procedure. Go to Martha Stewart’s website and search.  Spatchcocking two turkeys for Thanksgiving almost ended our marriage!)

Snoop, the rescue that came to spend a couple of days and has stayed for over nine years now.  He truly is my pal despite his thieving ways.  Totally devoted to me, he is my constant shadow and would protect the Cavaliers and us if needed.  I just wish he would learn manners, but have given up. I think he was a gypsy dog in a past life.

Coyotes:

Coyotes have been appearing in more and more suburban areas and housing devlopments. Los Angeles is rife with them. Recently a coyote attacked a dog in its yard in Grosse Point, Michigan, a very upscale neighborhood.  Coyotes can scale high fences and have gotten very brazen as their habitat has disappeared and their hunger increased.  Coyotes are like chameleons adapting to any environment.  If you know that there are coyotes in your area, do not let your dogs out by themselves. Even with you there, it only takes a moment for a coyote to snatch a dog or cat. 

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE VERY DANGEROUS TO PET

DIMPLE BALLS

The below dimple ball has a vacuum effect that can trap the tongue of a dog, cutting off the blood supply, so that the tongue horribly swells and cannot be easily removed.  The Labrador pictured below had to have his tongue amputated and had to learn to eat and drink without a tongue. Please tell your local pet stores and perhaps write the corporate office of pet store chains asking them to remove the dimple ball from the shelves.  Please protect your beloved pets!!!!

POTPOURRI

A fellow Cavalier breeder lost two of her beloved Cavaliers quite tragically.  They ate Potpourri which is evidently poisonous to dogs.  Despite major efforts to save these beloved pets, the Cavaliers died.  Potpourri is toxic to pets.  The breeder involved is having tests run on the Potpourri to determine the poison but it is thought to be the die in the potpourri.  Please safeguard your pets as they can die a horrible death after ingesting Potpourri.  I cannot warn you strongly enough!!!!!!!