Help! My Dog's a Wino!

Grapes and Raisins


Another relatively common warning dog owners hear is to keep grapes away from dogs at all costs. How true is this really? Will "Spot" instantly keel over if she gobbles up a raisin? To put it bluntly, we don't know! Some dogs are seriously affected and may even die, while other dogs have no reaction at all. However, when dogs have adverse reactions to grapes, the results tend to be serious. Dogs with grape toxicity will begin vomiting, be lethargic, refuse to eat, have diarrhea and decreased urination, abdominal pain, loss of muscle control, and/or weakness [1]. This has been seen when dogs have eaten only 19.6 grams of grapes or raisins per kilogram of body weight. Unfortunately, scientists have so far been unable to determine what is causing the toxicity, so we do not know exactly how many grapes a dog can eat before it is dangerous. So what is my recommendation? Try to avoid giving your dog grapes and raisins. If he or she does manage to get some, watch him or her closely, and if you see any symptoms of toxicity, rush to the vet straight away!

That's Nuts!

Macadamia Nuts


One of the most dangerous substances to dogs is also one of the least known - macadamia nuts. What, in my mind, makes this very concerning is the fact that no one knows what causes the toxicosis or exactly how much needs to be eaten in order for negative side effects to appear. What we do know is that even eating only two teaspoons per pound of body weight can cause tremors and muscle weakness, and consuming more than that can cause vomiting, ataxia, depression, and hyperthermia [1]. These symptoms always develop rapidly after a dog eats macadamia nuts, generally occurring in less than twelve hours[1]. This is a poison unique to dogs, so not much is known about it. If your dog stole your macadamia nut cookies, be on the lookout and be ready to rush him or her to the vet!

Is Chewing Gum Toxic?

Chewing Gum

 

The reason people are concerned about chewing gum is that it contains the compound xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol that is absorbed directly into the bloodstream without being broken down further. The presence of xylitol in the blood causes an increase in insulin released, which in turn results in hypoglycemia and/or liver failure due to too much sugar being pulled out of the bloodstream. [1] Anything over one gram per kilogram of bodyweight (so one gram of xylitol per 2.2 pounds of body weight) can cause hypoglycemia! [1] Clearly, then, it is important to keep chewing gum away from your dog. However, not all gum contains xylitol. Xylitol is found in sugar-free gum and mints, nicotine gum, chewable vitamins, certain oral-care products, and some baked goods as an artificial sweetener. Be sure to check if the products in your home contain xylitol, and if your dog eats anything with xylitol in it, it may be wise to take him or her to the veterinarian to prevent or counteract hypoglycemia and liver failure. [1]

Toxic Foods - Am I Going to Kill My Dog?

Everyone has heard that if someone feeds a dog X foods, the dog will keel over dead. But what about the dogs that mow down an entire Hershey's bar and are fine? Are these foods really that bad? I'll break it down for you in the next few posts!

Chocolate


The danger of chocolate, while of concern, is incredibly over-hyped. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both of which can be toxic in large concentrations. The level of theobromine needed for toxicity, however, is 300 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight. [1] That means that a 70-pound lab (about 32 kg) would need to eat over 9,600 milligrams of pure theobromine, or 0.021 pounds. That might not seem like much, but a whole Hershey's milk chocolate bar contains only 62 milligrams of theobromine. [2] That dog would need to eat over 150 Hershey's bars to be at risk! So you can probably relax if Fido got into the Easter candy. You should be concerned, however, if your dog got into a batch of dark chocolate or baking chocolate. One tablespoon of Hershey's SPECIAL DARK Dark Cocoa contains 100 milligrams of theobromine, so that can become dangerous very quickly.[2] To make life easier, here is a ranking of how concerned you need to be if your dog stole your chocolate bar, from least scary to most scary:

White Chocolate < Milk Chocolate < Dark Chocolate <Baking Chocolate