Dogs Dinner

NO, MY DOG WOULDN’T LIKE A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE!

This is a great topic of conversation around our house of late, my children ages 3 and 4, are just getting really acquainted with our two long haired Chihuahua’s. For the past few years they have lived an existence of mere cohabitation, ignoring each other save for the thrown food off the table in the dogs general direction and the missing noses off my daughters favorite beanie-babies. My older dog loves to eat the little plastic noses off soft toys; after all prior to the kids being here, all the toys belonged to them.

So now when they get the chance the kids love to play fetch with the dogs, they run around screaming and laughing and throwing toys for the dogs to retrieve back to them, one of the dogs delights in the chase, happily careening around the garden or the living room with both kids trying to grab her tail or catch the toy.  However, the other one, placid and cute but very overweight, will sit out the games of catch and chase, in favor of her observation hideaway under the TV armoire.  From there she watches and waits until one of the kids heads into the kitchen, only then does she venture out from under her hidey spot and positions herself alongside the table where the kids sit to eat. This is where the trouble starts; often my daughter eats lopsided on her chair, hanging half on and half off, precariously balancing while drinking apple juice or wolfing down a banana or usually something far sweeter and wrapped in pastry. Oh how my little Dolly dog loves to eat; sweets, pastry, meat, veggies, dust, anything really that drops from those little tiny hands or mouths, is going down Dolly’s gullet without pause. 

I have asked them, begged them to stop feeding the dogs, but the dogs are so tiny and cute it seems my children are captivated by them and simply find it just too hard to resist. 

So with the old adage “if you can’t beat em join em” rattling around my head, I set about finding out what I need to watch for and what I can just raise an eyebrow to and pass by. I really don’t want to have to rush my furry pals to the puppy ER because they ingested something yummy but poisonous. Here is what I found:

• Avocados contain a toxin called persin, which to animals is known to cause heart, lung and other tissue damage.
• Beer (don’t worry my dogs will never drink beer dropped from my children, not for at least another 18 or so years anyway) but apparently beer can have the same effect on a dog’s liver and brain as they do to a human!  As animals tend to be smaller than us the effects can be deadly, even a small amount of alcohol can cause vomiting and liver damage.
• Nuts are known to cause effects from vomiting to paralysis or death. About 12 hours after eating nuts pets can develop the inability to stand or walk, vomiting, hyperthermia, weakness and elevated heart rate. Walnuts and macadamia are the most toxic and even worse, if eaten with chocolate it can lead to death.
• Chocolate and Candy are both extremely dangerous to your pet, chocolate contains therobromine, which can kill you pet when eaten in large amounts. The dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are the worst. Any candy or chocolate containing Xylitol can lead to a rapid blood sugar drop, coordination problems and seizures, again the animal can die from this.
• Caffeine isn’t necessarily going to kill your pet (unless a large quantity is consumed) but it can lead to heart palpitations and restlessness much like in humans who consume too much caffeine.
• Grapes and Raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. Who knew that?  A very small amount of raisins can be fatal, all this time (over 20 years) I have been a pet owner and yet I had no idea. The effects of raisins and grapes are cumulative on your pet, do not let them get into them on a regular basis; it will build up in their system.
• Onions are strangely highly toxic to animals; they destroy red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness and breathing problems. Like the raisins and grapes, the onion’s effect is cumulative over time.
• Hide all your people medicine, accidental ingestion is the most common cause of pet poisoning, but even more troublesome is that people will give their dogs Tylenol or Advil when they think they are in pain, this can be super toxic to your pet, check with your vet and make sure you have the pet equivalent of a pain remedy. Other poisonous items your pet might ingest.

So what can my dogs have when they stare longingly at me with those big brown eyes, trying to convince me they are starving to death in front of me?

Lean meats should be fine, as are most fruits and vegetables such as carrots, green beans, cucumber, orange slices, bananas, and even watermelon is ok. They can eat a little baked potato, plain bread, rice or pasta and apparently still all will be fine. The key is not to offer too much of the people food and to keep it as bland as possible. The best source of food for you pet is a high quality grain and meat based dry food.  It is formulated to work with your pets sensitive gastrointestinal tract, but a treat every once in a while shouldn’t cause too much distress as long as it’s not the wrong kind of treat.

In case of an emergency contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888.426.4435 or call your local vet.

Make an adjustment, Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan for your next chiropractic care appointment  Fontana Chiropractic Evergreen Colorado - 303.674.1500 or email  

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