Dogs and Table Scraps Are They Two Worlds That Should Not Meet
There is a lot of hype circulated by well meaning pet enthusiasts, some of which has a lot of lore attached to it while others is being just slightly embellished by the dog aficionado to make a point. Yet dogs and table scraps are they two worlds that should not meet or are there a lot of misconceptions that need to be overcome in an effort to live with a dog in a harmonious manner?
First and foremost know this: the occasional table scrap in small quantities will not kill your dog. If it is safe for you to eat, then a taste of it for your dog will not harm it irreparably. With this little nugget of truth out of the way, there are some very real dangers posed by table scraps that in sufficient quantity may kill your pet!
1.At the top of any list is chocolate. A piece that falls to the ground and is gobbled up by your full grown dog is most likely not going to cause a big problem; five pieces may pose a problem to a dog, while a whole bowl will probably kill a small dog. The substance at issue is methylxanthine, a substance that acts like caffeine and speeds up the heart rate to the point of inducing a heart attack in the animal.
2.Chicken bones or turkey are dangerous. Those dog aficionados that advocate the BARF diet may not make that point, but by and large the bones of poultry are hollow, which enables the birds to take flight, but this very hollowness causes splintering that leads to bleeding muzzles, tongues, and digestive tracts.
3.Onions and related veggies may be hazardous. Although it might take large quantities of these plants to really cause harm, a dog that goes on a destruction binge in your vegetable garden and eats a good quantity of them might suddenly drop and require veterinary care.
4.Raw meat is another hazard. Sure, in the wild the dogs would be eating raw meat, but unless you want to gamble and make Fido part and parcel of Darwins theory with regards to survival of the fittest, exposing them to potentially harmful salmonella that could wreak havoc with a puppys body to such an extent as to upset its fluid and thus electrolyte content and thus killing it, it is not advisable to give them raw meat.
5.Ice cream will not lead to death, but most likely to severe diarrhea and an extended period of time spent by you cleaning up a smelly mess on the carpet. The lactose contained in ice cream makes this tasty treat a no go for the dog. Fortunately, with the advent of doggie ice cream this really is no longer a bone of contention for many a dog lover.
6.Keep in mind that some things you would never feed your dog from the table may nonetheless find their ways into the animals belly. Garden mushrooms are perhaps the biggest reason for doggie stomach problems and it is a wise idea to get rid of such mushrooms before letting the dog out to play.
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