Prevent Dog Poisoning!

English: Logo of National Poison Prevention Week (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just got the latest newsletter from DogTimes, which reminded me that this is Poison Prevention Week.  But the story they have really shocked me.  The title is "Murder at the Crufts Dog Show & 5 things that are toxic to your dog." 

Yes, murder.  It looks like somebody deliberately poisoned an Irish Setter at Crufts, which is pretty horrible.  Nowadays, I think most people are aware that there are those who do this sort of thing; that kind of story turns up on the news from time to time.  But it's even more disturbing in this case because we assume that everyone there loves dogs.

At any rate, the article ends with reminders of what to keep away from your dog, and with all the new first-time dogparents out there, it's well worth reading.

Related articles

• Death of Irish setter at Crufts dog show is a canine murder mystery (kdvr.com)
• Family mourn death of prize-winning Crufts dog: 'we've lost a member of our family' - video (theguardian.com)
• Campaign for Crufts handler to be punished over cruel dog lift (thetimes.co.uk)
• VIDEO: Mystery of dog 'poisoned at Crufts' (bbc.co.uk)
• Unclear where or when Irish setter was poisoned, vet investigator says (theglobeandmail.com)

Dogs: Don't Eat This!

A double whammy for dogs:  Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I thought I had a good handle on people foods that are toxic for dogs, but WebMD alerted me to a few that I had never heard of in this context, including avocados and animal fat.  Best of all, they tell you precisely why these foods are "Dangerous for Dogs." Avocados (persea Americana) contain persin, which is toxic for dogs, and animal fat -- cooked or raw-- can cause pancreatitis.  So, it's worth a look.  Strangely enough, the theobromine in chocolate that is toxic for dogs is also toxic for humans, but we would have to eat quite a bit at one time (the figure I've read on this is 25 lbs!) to be poisoned.

I think I've mentioned before that I was horrified to learn (some years ago) that the macadamia nuts I occasionally shared with Tony, my Pomeranian, before he gained weight, which led to his diabetes, were extremely toxic for dogs.  He never had many, but he was really crazy about them.  Which suggests that if you have any, keep them where the dog can't get at them.

What am I saying?!!  You've probably already got them in a secret hiding place to keep them from your greedy loved ones.

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• Holiday Tips For Your Pet (y98.cbslocal.com)
• Pet Owners Beware: Harmful Holiday Foods (arkansasmatters.com)
• My Tummy Hurts... (northernbone.com)
• Mmmm mango, macadamia and avocado argula salad (thereluctantyogii.wordpress.com)