I have decided to post this as a topic,have added a message to easter greetings.

Many people may be unaware that chocolate contains a substance phenobromine(sp) that is poisonous to dogs. A bar of dark chocolate will kill a small dog. with all the chocs around at easter and most dogs propensity for stealing they can become very ill.

I understand that what happens is that the dogs metabolism is sent into overdrive, burnout. I am sure someone out there (John?) has more accurate info!

brainless . im stunned as I live and learn I never heard it , just shows you theres always something else you dont know :( Mari

I have also read that the toxines stay in the dogs body and 'build up'. So whilst the dog can 'appear' fine after a tiny bit, the next bit might be that bit too much.

Dangers of Feeding your dog "People" Food and Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs

I am interested in the reference in this article to the potential dangers of feeding "raw and undercooked meat". This seems common sense to me, but obviously the BARF enthusiasts would strongly disagree....
Have there been any objective scientific studies done on this issue? Or are we just being subjected to claim and counter-claim based on people's subjective experiences?
Cathy.

I can't see how raw meat can be posonous to a carnivore, where do the wild canids get their meat cooked :D

Wild animals usually don't have to worry about e coli bacterium and Salmanella poisoning either from our wonderful slaughter houses. :-) Personally, I don't think its the rawness of the meat that gives problems. It's all of the bugs that are in the meat that causes the difficulty. Also, our dogs are no longer accustomed to it.

Pretty much within one generation of humans, we have gone from meat & bones, to processed dog food. I don't mind because it's easier for my life. But elsewhere in the world, what dogs eat varies from region to region.

just my humble opinion.
toodles

Mustard is another no no for dogs. Not sure if it only causes vomiting or if it can actually result in death. I just know its toxic :(
toodles

Crikey, I didn't know about the mustard!! I smear it on chair legs to stop them getting chewed when I have a determined puppy. I wont do that again.

WL I wonder if that includes tabasco

Onions are also poisonous to dogs, not that i know of any dog daft enough to tuck into one, though there was abull terrier that ate a toy arrow about the length of its body so who knows!!! Sugar (and therefore chocolate) are also poisonous to us though we have to eat an awful lot of it to get ill, and their is something in us (enzyme wise) that will make us be sick before the poisoning point - this enzyme doesn't exist in a dog and hence they die - Nice thought, never really liked chocolate anyway, more of a chewy sweet person meself!

boiled sweets are my passion Cleo , acid drops cough drops clove rock pineapple chunks etc my dogs have one now and then. I am not a chocy person either just as well as I know if I was eating one I would have given them some

There was a msg on my e-list recently from an owner about how their dogs had gotten out of their garden and raided a neighbors compost heap. The dogs returned home and began fitting. The owner took the dogs (3 I think, maybe 2) to the vet. One was vomiting up onions. They are VERY bad for dogs! The vet did the best he could, but unfortunately one died. The other one or two made a slow recovery. It was very serious. Hopefully they won't have any long term effects.

Hiya everyone,
Three years ago I had one litter and we went to
great lengths of telling new owners what to feed their new pup.
We even gave diet sheets, and advice pack. One owner took their pup
home and called me in a blind panic later that evening to say her pup had
terrible loose poo. Very concerned as I knew the pup had
left early in the morning with a good stomach. I talked
to them and after a while they told me they had curry for
tea and the husband had fed the pup his left over hot curry.
Yes with onions! So the pup had to be starved and then fed
bland food then its normal diet introduced. They rang the next
day to say the pup was fine, and they were so sorry for what
had happened. They promised they would then read the diet
sheets that I had provided. Some people!!!! :rolleyes:
I never knew about the mustard, and very grateful that subject
has been bought up.
Nutkin.

Hi again everyone,
Peanuts are not necessarily unhealthy for dogs.... Chienne loves them, but I only give her a couple every so often and watch her while she chews them. Samma swallows them whole, so I've never given her any after I saw her do that several years ago, which turns out to be a good thing after all......

Two weeks ago, my mom told me that her 11 year old schnauzer had become really blah all of a sudden. No temperature, just listless & disinterested. This guy is a chipper & happy dog, so it worried her. He even wasn't interested in eating his dinner or a treat!! He's "appetite surrounded by dog" if you know what I mean. He had a very hard stomach, but didn't show any pain.

She decided to treat him like a colicky horse (horses = her life's passion) and walked him that evening and the next morning after giving him a bit o' cod liver oil -- yum :( The following morning on the third time around the block, he finally pooped. Between that walk in the morning & the one in the evening, she figured that he passed about a pound of whole peanuts. My dad had been "sharing" with him several nights before and hadn't thought that Laird would swallow them without chewing.

I don't know what would have happened if gravity hadn't started to work. Possibly a vet appt. and a whole bunch of bad stuff. Anyway, just thought I'd share another possible "bad dog food" tale with y'all :D

toodles

Knew about Chocolate but had no idea about mustard and onions - good post brainless :D

I new about the chocolate thing, but me too had no idea about mustard or onions?

Julieann