Recently, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has documented approximately 140 cases of dogs exhibiting potential poisoning from raisins and grapes. These dogs are believed to have ingested varying amounts of raisins and/or grapes from varied sources, including directly off the vine.

I know they like them, they even beg for them.  While many animals will avoid naturally the foods that are not good for them, dogs don’t do that!  They like what we like, even if it kills them!

Clinical symptoms can include gastrointestinal signs like vomiting and diarrhea to life-threatening kidney failure which starts about 24 hours after ingestion. The amount of grapes ingested in these cases varied between 9 oz. and 2 lbs., which worked out to be between 0.41 and 1.1 oz/kg of body weight.

Because there is the potential for death with this type of poisoning, veterinarians and poison control centers are developing aggressive treatment for any dogs believed to have ingested large amounts of grapes and/or raisins. These treatments may include the following: induced vomiting, stomach lavage (stomach pumping), and administration of activated charcoal followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours or as indicated based on the results of blood tests for kidney damage.

The ASPCA is continuing to investigate raisin and grape poisoning and kidney failure in dogs. However, since much is still unknown, they recommend that owners not feed any amount of raisins or grapes to their pets.

We all want our pets to have safe food and treats.  Resist the temptation to share all the things you eat!

You’ve heard chocolate is really dangerous for dogs to eat.  Why is this?

Chocolate is a toxic dessert.

Chocolate contains methylxanthine alkaloids in the form of theobromine and caffeine, that cause constriction of arteries, increased heart rate, and central nervous system stimulation. These effects can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and increased urinations. More advanced symptoms of toxicity include excitability, increased respirations and heartbeat, stiffness, seizures and exaggerated reflexes.

Certain types of chocolate contain higher amounts of methylxanthines, baking chocolate containing the highest and white chocolate containing the least. Dogs freely ingest toxic amounts of chocolate if it is left accessible. A potentially lethal dose in a 16 pound. dog is only one pound of milk chocolate. People stop eating chocolate before ingesting toxic levels.

Cardiac failure, seizures, coma, and death can result if the chocolate ingestion is not found within four to six hours and treated appropriately. The length of action of the methylxanthines is usually 12 to 36 hours. In dogs that chocolate ingestion is detected early, the prognosis is good.

If your dog has gotten into chocolate, you should note the type, estimate the amount eaten, and then call your veterinarian for recommendations. You will probably need to take your dog in for examination and evaluation of heart rate. If your veterinarian is not available, you should seek emergency care. We recommend that you keep your chocolate in an unreachable location; an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of ingestion.

We love our pets, and sometimes treat them as they are our children.  We even feel guilty that we’re eating a sweet something gooey and chocolatey, and pets beg so cutely, that we pinch off a piece and give it to them, not realizing how toxic it can be to their systems.  As much as we love them as family members, we must remember they are not human!!

HOW many times have you heard someone confess that they love chocolate themselves and sometimes give their dog a few pieces although they have heard that it is not good for dogs and could make them sick?

That is, unfortunately, quite a common occurrence but the truth is that you are not doing your dog any favours as far as health is concerned. Chocolate contains theobromine, a toxicant responsible for causing canine illness. Signs of theobrimine poisoning include vomiting, excessive thirst, diarrhoea, restlessness and agitation.

These signs usually develop in six to eight hours. Kidney damage, seizures, heart rhythm irregularities and death may result, in severe cases. There is no real antidote for a theobromine overdose. Support and care can be given, and vomiting can be induced if the poisoning is recognised early enough. Obviously the best course of action is not to feed your dog chocolate to begin with and to be sure to hide your own chocolate stash so your dog can’t help himself!

Luckily this seems to be what usually happens – human owners with a chocoholic habit do not want their dog to find and demolish their stores, so are generally careful about where they keep them. Perhaps the biggest danger could be from visitors or children who may leave chocolate they have brought with them, or been given, in an accessible place, such as on a coffee table.

White chocolate, however, follows different rules. Some dog treats are available dipped in white chocolate. Is this safe?

The answer is yes. Regular dark chocolate is made from cacao beans, the source of high levels of theobromine, a caffeine-like substance. White chocolate, on the other hand, is made from cocoa butter, which is safe for dogs.

The amount of theobromine in powdered cocoa varies, but it can be quite high. Usually, the darker the chocolate the higher the theobromine content. The amount of caffeine in different chocolate products is also extremely variable. For example, unsweetened baking chocolate reputedly has up to 10 times the caffeine of milk chocolate.

This means that as an after-dinner snack or supper treat, white chocolate is less likely to keep you awake half the night than dark chocolate. So what about the chocolate nibbles made especially for dogs – do they contain theobromine? The answer here is no. Manufacturers have formulated them to contain extra vitamins and minerals and to have various added qualities.

They are made especially for dogs, and although they are called choc drops, the name is not accurate – they are made of carob, and are therefore quite safe.

If you eat chocolate yourself you may like to keep a packet of ‘chocolate’ treats for your dog so that you can give him/her a treat when you succumb to the nibble habit yourself (and it does protect you from that feeling of guilt when your dog tries on the “sad eyes and drooling” look that they all keep in reserve for just such occasions).

However, you must remember that dogs are always healthier without chocolate in any form and even the specially produced treats should be used only on very special occasions – not as a daily substitute for some TLC from you as the dog’s owner.

I know, you’ve known that chocolate is bad for dogs.  However, white chocolate is different!! Still, think very small amounts!

Read about how white chocolate and dogs is ok:

You may notice that white chocolate is a typical ingredient in many treat icing recipes. While chocolate is dangerous for dogs, white chocolate is safe. The reason being, most all the caffeine substance in white chocolate has been removed. White chocolate is primarily cocoa fat, sugar, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla with next to no “chocolate liquor” the substance hazardous to dogs.

Icing Dipper Recipe

Use for the doggie equivalent of “black and white” cookies. Dog treats can be partially or fully dipped to coat then allow to dry.

Basic Dipper

3 cups vanilla chips (white chocolate)
1 tablespoon vegetable powder for coloring (see below)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Melt the vanilla chips and add vegetable oil and colorings. Dip the tips of the cookies in the icing and place on waxed paper to dry.

Colorings: Pink Dipper – beet powder; Green – spinach powder; Yellow – turmeric

In general you should store dog treats the same way you would homemade people cookies. That being said, there are two main variables that determine storage time – the amount and type of fat in the recipe and your local weather conditions. If your recipe uses fats such as butter, or meat bits or juices then it will be more prone to rancidity than a recipe that uses some vegetable oil or shortening. Your treats may mold or spoil much faster in humid or very hot climates.

Refrigeration and Freezing – Refrigeration will prolong the life of more fragile dog treats. Make sure to store in a tightly sealed container or zip lock bag. You can also freeze most treats in zip lock freezer bags. Allow to thaw completely before use.

This very basic dog treat contains whole grain and all-purpose flour as well as cornmeal. The flavoring comes from chicken or beef broth so the better the quality the better the flavor. Because we use yeast we get a nice, tall puffy treat.

I N G R E D I E N T S

3 1/2 cup all-purpose (or unbleached) flour
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup skim milk powder
1 tablespoon (or 1 package) dry yeast
3 1/2 cups lukewarm chicken or meat broth (about 2- 15oz cans)
1 egg beaten with about 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)

I N S T R U C T I O N S

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease cookie sheets.
Mix together all dry ingredients.
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm chicken or meat broth. Let yeast broth mixture set 10 min. Then stir in flour mixture until a soft dough is formed. If the dough is too sticky you can add more flour.
Roll resulting dough out 1/4″ thick. Cut dog biscuit shapes from dough. Put scraps back in bowl and re-roll out until all dough is used.
Brush biscuits with egg wash. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 300* for 45 min. Then, turn off oven and leave in overnight to finish hardening.
Yield: Makes 60 medium-sized biscuits.

At least once in her life, ust about every outdoor cat gets “stuck” in a tree.  The cat might have been chasing a bird, or squirrel, or simply running away from the neighborhood dog or kid.  Whatever the reason, she’s now stranded up there, meowing and looking terrified.

What do you do?  Many people think they should call the fire department to come to the rescue, but the fire depaartment may actually do more harm than good, if they even come and agree not to charge you.  The cat may become more afraid and scoot further up the tree. 

The fact is that most cats in trees are sure-footed enough to come down by themselves.  They just beed a little time to think about it and a little help from you.

If your cat is stuck in a tree, here’s what to do:

• Look carefully to make sure that it can move around and isn’t hurt.  It’s not likely that it will be injured, but if it is, you’ll need help.  Call your local humane society or your veterinarian for advice.
• Stay calm and quiet, keep other people and pets away,  The last think your cat wants is a crowd of noisy spectators watching.
• Open a can of its favorite food and place it at the bottom of the tree.
• Now go inside and wait.  It may take a few hours, but in almost all cases, your cat will get down the way it went up.

However, I had a cat that stayed stuck for 3 days.  She drove us all nuts and then on the 3rd day, all of a sudden she jumped to the roof and then to a shorter bush and then to the ground, as if she had known the way all the time.

Ahem.  Who’s in charge here?

So, when pets look at stoplights, red and green holidy decorations, green trees and red flowers, all they see are different shades of gray. 

Cats and dos can see blue, yellow and other colors, but because their eyes have fewer cones (color sensitive cells), than ours do, they see these colos as pale, washed-out pastels.

Sorry, mom and dad, those colorful toys are more for you than them…but stick with yellows and blues for your pets, at least it’s a change from gray.

Cats are active in the dark, where it is sometimes difficult for them to see everything, though they see very well in dim light or nearly dark.  Their whiskers gfive them another way of findiing out about their environment.

Because the whiskers extend to the cat’s shoulders, some people think they are used to let the cat know how much room she has to move in a tight space.  If a cat enters a dark tunnel with walls that brush both the left and right whiskers, that may tell the cat the tunnel isn’t wide enough for her to pass through. 

Cats also have a set of whiskers on the inside of each of their front legs above the paws.  Some people think these whiskers help the cat catch mice by giving her “touch information” about the prey animal.

Real cats were associated with the goddess Bastet and because of this, were treated very well.  Anyone who killed a cat was guilty of a crime punishable by death.  It was considered quite unlucky to come upon a dead cat in the street.  Whoever did so would beat his chest and cry loudly to let others know the animals death was not his fault.

The death of a pet cat was also a sad occasion, and the family members showed their grief by shaving off their eyebrows.  Cats were given real funerals, and even the poorest Egyptian family made sure the cat had a decent burial.  The pet cats of wealthy Egyptians were often mummified and laid to rest with jeweled collars.  Sometimes saucers of milk and mummified mice were placed in the tomb along with the cat so she would have something to eat during her afterlife.

The practice of mummifying cats was very common.  In the middle of the 19th century, archaeologists found over 300,000 cat mummies in a cemetery in Egypt.