‘Tis the season to make treats… AND protect our furry friends from them. In the book released by our dog, Bandit, this year, he includes a long list of items that we humans might not realize are poisonous for our dogs and cats.
As I was preparing dinner last evening, I was reminded of this. While chopping some onions, a piece flew onto the floor. As is usual for Bandit, he quickly scurried toward the morsel. He knows this as “Clean Up, Aisle 4.” However, on this occasion, I had not called out, “Clean Up, Aisle 4.” In fact, knowing that onions are on the very serious Oh-No list, I had already made my move to quickly reach the onion chunk first.
Bandit gave me quite the disappointed look. But, it’s all about keeping them safe. With more than 100,000 cases of pet poisoning just last year, we can’t be too careful.
“A Dangerous Book for Dogs” is truly a riotous romp for dogs on how to train their humans. Naturally, Bandit felt he should include some free bonus goodies… because you’ve been good. One of them focuses on food and treat safety.
As the list is several pages long, and goes into a great deal of detail, I will just give a few important highlights here. The list goes well beyond foods. For example, while I won’t list every specific detail here, in general, keep all human and pet medications, as well as chemical treatments away from your animals. Household cleaners and personal care items are also big no-no’s. The list of harmful plants should also be considered, including the likes of aloe, daisies, marijuana, and tobacco, for just a few.
It’s the foods we consume that cause the most common angst. In a nutshell, keep alcohol and caffeine away from dogs and cats, along with chocolate, grapes, raisins, fruit pits, citrus peels, garlic, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, yeast dough, nuts, and avocado. While there are some specifics and varietal details within categories, these form a pretty important starting point. Despite the popularity for humans right now, don’t even let them get at coconut water, as it’s too high in potassium for dogs. Also avoid sharing dairy treats, as they are difficult for them to digest.
Sigh. ‘Tis the season to enjoy goodies, but we all need to remember that to be good to our beloved pets, we need to protect them.
For more information on Bandit’s “A Dangerous Book for Dogs,” (despite his warning to keep it OUT of human hands), check out the list of books at the blog, GoodLiving123.com. It’s available in paperback, digital, and Audiobook formats.
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