Warning for Dog Owners

From this morning's Dear Abby:

"Please alert other dog lovers about something our family learned this weekend after spending hundreds of dollars at an emergency vet clinic: Dogs can become seriously ill or die from eating grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic."

Apparently this lady had left a bowl of grapes on the table and the puppy got into them and may have permanent kidney damage.

Who would have thought something so innocent could cause such a problem?

Yes, this information is important to know because the majority of people would not think these foods would be bad for a dog. Being a member of a Jack Russell Terrier forum, I know all about the different things that are not good for a dog.
Did you know eating/chewing Azalea bushes can be toxic to dogs?
I assume, or at least hope, everyone knows the dangers of Antifreeze....something about it is sweet to animals, cats and dogs both love to lick it. So take super caution when putting antifreeze in your car, rinse your driveway well, etc. Don't leave the jugs sit within reach of your pets.
And of course, chocolate also is very bad and even deadly for dogs.
Chicken skin is very bad as well. Feeding lots of people food can cause Pancreatitis which can be fatal if not treated immediately.
NEVER EVER feed cooked bones of any kind to your dogs. Cooked bones will splinter and cause problems such as perforating the intestines/colon or causing blockages.
The grape thing can have an accumulative affect. You may be able to feed your dog a grape here or there on occassion with no adverse reaction....or it could end up building up and that 10th or 12th grape may put your dog over the edge.
Macadamia nuts are also bad for dogs.
Check this site out for a list of toxic plants:
http://www.angel-litemaltese.com/Poison.htm

Also, liquid laundry detergents can cause burns on your dog. A lady had a dog crated within reach of a bottle of Tide, the dog managed to spill it and all the Tide went into the crate, the dog was forced to sit/lie in it and ended up with skin burns.
Dryer sheets can be very dangerous to dogs as well....I'm not sure if it's what is on them if a dog carries one around or eats it, or what, but I know there have been warnings posted about not letting your dogs play with them on the dog forum I belong to.

Jonny and NJSk8fan thanks so much for the information. Here is another warning for pet owners that the director of our local animal shelter gave my girls when she talked with them about responsible pet ownership. Beware of people in vans who drive up and down streets looking for pets to pick up. These scumbags sell the pets to animal testing labs . They will even steal pets out of fenced in yards..

Watch out for those rotten neighbors one can sometimes have, too....the ones that will throw poisoned table scraps over the fence for your pets to eat.

Since I've spent alot of time on the petfinder site (I just adopted a new cat), I'd like to post this from the ASPCA:
Cat Care
Aspirin and Tylenol are TOXIC to cats. NEVER give either to a sick kitty.

I'm willing to bet that there is similar info on dogs on the site. Petfinder has info on animals and lists and links to shelters. Since my beloved cat, Smokie, recently died, I have been looking for a new pet and have found the site useful. Even though I finally adopted a cat from the first group that came to mind, the Cleveland Animal Protective League.

So, I found a lovely old lady cat named Callie. No guesses necessary to describe her...she's a calico. Cream, gray and white. I brought her home last Friday and congratulated myself too soon that she wasn't doing the shelter cat sneezing. Well, she DID get the upper respiratory infection that the info from the pound predicted. Nay, even PROMISED! Poor sneezy kitty! But even sick, she is a very nice cat.

Congrats Jo!!

Just wanted to congratulate you on your decision to adopt a new kitty, and wish you both well. I'm sure this early shelter coughing stuff will pass! Enjoy....

DG

Congrat's on your kitty! I hope she's over the URI soon!

I know Tylenol is not safe for dogs. I know it's been discussed on the JRT site I'm on, but I'm not going to say anything about the aspirin because I'm not sure...but I do know the Tylenol is a no-no.

Congratulations, JO, on your new addition! Hope she feels better soon.

I knew about the chocolate no no for dogs, but had no idea about some of the other things. That's quite a list. Thanks for the info.

Never had a dog or cat of my own, but my boss once had a black lab that was a good buddy of mine, and I am often called on as a cat sitter for my cousin's tabby, who is the most loving kitty I have ever met.

Thank you for the good wishes for Callie Kitty. She has taken over my recliner. That's okay as I have been watching the Eurosport commentary online. But now that the competition day is over (Sasha and Irina -- Michelle -- ) I will go over to the worlds forum and vent. Guess kitty gets to keep recliner awhile more.