BREAKFAST WITH GINGER - FOR DOG LOVERS

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EVwlMVYqMu4&vq=medium#t=125

Fron Dr. Jon on toxic and dangerous foods for your dog

You know that I'm a big believer in nutrition. A week or so ago, I sent you a newsletter about 5 harmful foods that you should NEVER give to your dog. They were:

• Alcoholic Beverages
• Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums
• Grapes and Raisins
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Chocolate

While these foods may prove harmful to your dog, this list of dangerous foods was not complete, and I wanted to make sure that no one thought it was. So today, I'm going to tell you about some more foods that you should not feed to your dog.

There are several more dangerous and potentially harmful foods that you should never feed your dog. They are:

1. Coffee (grounds and beans). Coffee grounds or beans can cause "caffeine" toxicity in dogs.

2. Fatty Foods. Dogs love rich fatty foods. They often get these foods as treats, leftovers or from getting into the trash. Fatty foods can cause pancreatitis in any pet except miniature or toy poodles. Cocker spaniels and miniature schnauzers are particularly prone to pancreatitis. The dog may become very sick very quickly.

3. Dairy Products . Dairy products are not highly dangerous but can pose problems for two reasons. Dairy products have a high fat content, and like other fatty foods, they could cause pancreatitis. The second danger is that pets digest dairy products poorly.

4. Macadamia Nuts. Macadamia nuts, also called the Queensland or Australia nut, can be toxic ... but we don't know why. The reason may be a mystery, but the evidence is clear. As few as six to 40 macadamia nuts have been shown to cause severe toxic symptoms in dogs.

5. Moldy or Spoiled Food . Dogs love to get into the trash. A medical problem arises when the trash contains moldy or spoiled food. In addition to food poisoning, some pets can develop tremors related to the ingestion of certain molds.

6. Nutmeg. You may not realize this but high levels of nutmeg can be toxic - even fatal. The toxicity principle is not well understood, but signs of toxicity include tremors, seizures, nervous system abnormalities and death.

7. Onions or Garlic . Dogs and cats lack the enzyme necessary to properly digest onions. A dog or cat that eats onions may experience gas, vomiting, diarrhea or severe gastrointestinal distress. All forms of onion and garlic are problematic, including raw, dehydrated, cooked or powder.ed forms. If large amounts of onion or garlic are ingested, or if onions are a part of your dog's daily diet, the red blood cells may become fragile and break apart.

8. Xylitol (sugar substitute). Xylitol is a sweetener made from sugar-alcohol.It is found in sugar-free human food products, such as chewing gum and candy.

9. Yeast Dough . When ingested, bread or yeast dough will "rise" in your dog's stomach just as rises in bread. This creates two problems. The dough often expands to many times its original size while inside your dog's stomach, causing your dog's stomach to expand as well. As the dough rises and ferments, alcohol is produced which can cause "alcohol toxicity."

So here's a good way to keep your dog healthy. Avoid all the bad stuff and feed him a superior diet. Many veterinarians around the country recommend premium pet foods like Iams® products.

Iams® recently introduced a great food called Premium Protection™ that blends the right balance of proteins, fats, fibers with vitamins and nutrients to create one of the most advanced formulas to help protect your dog's joints and total health. For more information on Iams Premium Protection, go to
www.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp?IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DHP

One more thing, if you change your dog's diet, do it gradually. Never go cold-turkey. Instead, make dietary changes over a period of several days by gradually mixing in the new food.

Until next time,

Dr. Jon


P.S. The Iams website has some great information, including an "Ingredients" demo that highlights the benefits of a balanced diet. To check it out, go to:
http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DHP to learn more about the science and the benefits of a balanced diet for your dog's total health

Dogs: Most dangerous dog foods to avoid

I continually hear of a lot of horror stories from  dog owners
alerting me to various foods that had caused serious illness
and sometimes even death to their dog.

Thought it important I share some of  this with you now for the
health of your dog..


***********************************************************
Below is a list of some of the  most dangerous dog foods to
avoid
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Note: This is only part of the list (otherwise your email will be
too long)!

For more information see details below the email.


CHOCOLATE
This is toxic to animals and should never be fed to your dog
under any circumstances.

ONIONS
Can cause Hemolytic anemia, labored breathing, liver
damage, vomiting, diarrhea, and discolored urine.

GARLIC
The jury is still out on Garlic with many owners safely using it. I
will cover this in a later email.

MACADAMIA NUTS AND OTHER TYPES OF NUTS
These can cause bladder stones due to the high phosphorus
content.

MILK AND DAIRY
Since dogs do not have the needed lactase to break up the
lactose the result can be diarrhea.

ADVOCADO
Avocadoes are toxic to many animals. The offensive chemical
damages heart, lung, and other essential tissues. Be aware
since guacamole's main ingredient is avocado, that you keep
any such dips well out of your dog's reach

RAW EGGS
An enzyme called avidin which is found in raw eggs causes
hair and skin problems along with the possibility of
Salmonella poisoning.

GRAPES
Feeding your dog grapes causes severe kidney damage.
While some fruits are acceptable to feed your pet, avoid
grapes at all times.

LIVER
In large amounts, liver causes a toxicity that affects the bones
and muscles.

RAW FISH
Has been known to cause a thiamine deficiency. As a result
the dog will suffer from seizures and possibly death.


TOMATOES
Tomato plants as well as the actual tomato are highly
dangerous to dogs. Ingesting a tomato or any part of the plant
can lead to tremors and heart arrhythmia.



To put it plainly, dogs cannot eat everything and anything.

In fact, there are many everyday items that are toxic to dogs.

The fact is, if you limit your dog to items that you know for
certain are safe you should have no problems.

Of course, dogs will from time to time get into the garbage,
come across some table scraps, and encounter people who
willing give them 'human food'.

In these cases,it is important to understand
what adverse effects will manifest in the dog, how to recognize it,
and potentially treat it, should problems arise.