Category Archives: Dog Health

World Chocolate Day

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July 7, 2023

Today, is World Chocolate Day. And I thought every day was chocolate day? But, remember chocolate is very bad for our dogs and should NEVER be given to them. It is easy to think it is ok for us to eat it must be ok for our dogs too. But that is not the case. From WebMD,

Most people know that chocolate is bad for dogs. The problem with chocolate is theobromine. It's in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous types are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Chocolate can cause a dog to vomit and have diarrhea. It can also cause heart problems, tremors, seizures, and death. Chocolate is not the only human food that should never be given to your dog. This list to the right is from the Humane Society of the United States.

 

Unsafe Food for Dogs!

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Apple seeds
  • Apricot pits
  • Avocados
  • Cherry pits
  • Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
  • Chives
  • Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
  • Garlic
  • Grapes
  • Gum (can cause blockages and sugar-free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
  • Hops (used in home beer brewing)
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Moldy foods
  • Mushroom plants
  • Mustard seeds
  • Onions, onion powder and onion flakes
  • Peach pits
  • Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
  • Raisins
  • Rhubarb leaves
  • Salt
  • Tea (because it contains caffeine)
  • Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
  • Walnuts
  • Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
  • Yeast dough

Favorite Chocolate

Now if you are going to be safe and want to indulge in some chocolate for yourself, I would recommend Seattle Chocolate Company, available at The Green Scene of Marshall.

Fireworks Season

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Independence Day is upon us. Time to celebrate the founding of our Nation. We all love the 4th of July, but our dogs do not. The tradition of fireworks and the 4th of July is pure hell for many of the 4-legged members of our family. While there is little that can be done once your dog is trembling under the bed and there are no 100% cures, there are some things to remember.

  1. Never correct your dog for being scared. They are doing nothing wrong and “punishing” will only make it worse.
    Do not reinforce the anxiety.
  2. Giving affection while your dog is in panic mode will only tell that this is the state of mind that you want them in. Remember dogs do not understand, “it’s OK”.
  3. Remain calm and don’t react to the fireworks, your dog looks to you for directions on how to react to things that are happening.
  4. When you start to hear the fireworks and your dog is not reacting too much, it is a good time to play his/her favorite game. A good game of fetch, hide-and-seek, or tug can distract your dog and even teach them that fireworks, or thunder for that matter, means time to play.
  5. As a last resort, and you know that your dog is so traumatized by the fireworks, talk to you Vet. As medication may help get your dog through the tough times.

Ticks Can Be Deadly

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Barbet Best of Bread
Sick Lyme Disease

Not a happy post, but one that needs to be shared.

Growing up in Michigan, and spending a lot of time outdoors, I never saw a tick and was never worried about them. In recent years tick populations in Michigan have exploded and now they are everywhere. Ticks have become a major problem in Southern Michigan. As our winters become warmer the prevalence of ticks increases. One Spring day after a hike near Marshall I removed close to 50 ticks off of our dog at the time, Barkley. While during Spring and Summer, they are their most abundant, in Michigan, ticks are a threat all year long. Even in January, if the temperature rises above 40 degrees, ticks become active.

Henri was only 18 months old when he passed away in January as a result of exposure to Lyme Disease. The Photo on the left was only a month before he died. He was full of life and ready to accomplish amazing things. The photo on the right is the day before he died at the MSU vet clinic. You can see his IV port on his leg. This was all the energy he had left. As a result of the Lyme Disease, his immune system was attacking his system and most of his organs were affected.  Words alone cannot express how devastated and guilty I feel at the loss of our sweet boy. I was responsible for his safety and somehow, I let him down.

Please click on the link, read the article, and watch the video about ticks and Lyme Disease.

Please share this story so others do not need to go through what we did.

 

Link to Article

Lyme Disease (michigan.gov)

How to Remove a Tick