Onions and garlic are toxic to pets!
On a recent episode of Good Eats – a cooking show hosted by Alton Brown on the Food Network – the host feeds his dog Matilda left over onion, garlic and salt pork! Now this is intended in jest but in real life could be disastrous. Onions and garlic can be toxic to dogs and cats and salt pork may cause another set of problems.
Onions and garlic can lead to damage to red blood cells which in turn can lead to severe anemia. This includes raw, cooked and dried versions of these plants. Individual animals appear to vary in how susceptible they are to the toxic effects. When the anemia is severe it can lead to lethargy, weakness, organ failure and death. In severe cases treatment may require blood transfusions and significant hospital time.
Salt pork is problematic due to its fat and salt content. The fat could lead to severe gastritis/enteritis or pancreatitis. Clinical signs would include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and not eating and these diseases range from mild to life threatening. Salt can also cause significant intestinal upset and be even more problematic for an animal with underlying kidney or heart disease.
Moral of the story is do not feed your pets people food because even seemingly harmless vegetables can be toxic. If you pet ingests onions, garlic or salt pork, contact your veterinarian for advice immediately.
There are multiple things to consider when choosing to add a dog to the family – big or small, adult or puppy, purebred or mix-breed. The following are just some issues to think about before you make your decision.
Size matters. How much room do you have for this new pet is the obvious first question. Other things to consider are activities with the pet. Very small dogs with young children can be dangerous for the pet as small dogs break bones easily when accidentally dropped or stepped on. On the other hand, smaller dogs may be less frightening to a child. Do you want a pet to carry around and dress up or a larger one to rough house in the park with? Also consider cost since veterinary care is often related to the pet’s size. Obviously food, heartworm prevention and medications cost much more for a 100 pound dog than a 5 pound dog.
Do you want an adult or puppy? There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Adult dogs often don’t need to be house broken and may already have some degree of training. Of course you may also have to untrain some unwanted behaviors that they have picked up. If you are interested in an adult dog but are concerned about any unwanted behaviors, consider adopting a dog already placed in a family such as one from a rescue organization that uses foster homes. The foster family can give you a report of how the dog handles his temporary home environment. An adult dog may have been given up because it was escaping from the back yard but may be the perfect dog for you if you have a high fence and do not intend to leave it unattended for long periods of time. With puppies, you get to start from scratch but this means the commitment of doing all the house training, socialization and teaching manners yourself.
Purebred or mix-breed? Purebreds may be more predictable in both their strengths and weaknesses. You know what the breed’s intended job is (hunting, herding, guard dog, lap dog) and what its intended traits are. A good breeder’s goal is to produce dogs as close to the ideal breed standard as possible. They will have excellent records of a dogs family history – good traits and bad as well as health history. Inherited diseases are hopefully avoided by careful breeding but since that is not always possible, despite best efforts, you can at least have an idea of what to monitor for – hip dysplasia is an example here. Remember that even the best breeding in the world can not predict what any particular dog will be like both in temperament and health. If your goal is to breed your new dog you will obviously want a pure bred. It is imperative that you purchase a quality dog so do your research. You can find a wealth of breed specific information from the American Kennel Club, local breed organizations, purebred rescue groups and breed specific web sites. With mix-breed dogs you tend to have less chance inherited disease, often referred to as hybrid vigor, though these problems are still possible. With a mix, the hope is to get the best from the contributing breeds while eliminating any undesired traits.
Other questions to ask when picking a dog is how much time you have to devote to the dog and what its purpose in your household will be. Do you want a calm and quiet dog or one that requires abundant exercise? Energetic dogs can be a joy for someone with an active lifestyle but the same dog can be a disaster without the proper exercise, attention and training. A similar question is do you want a dog that was intended to hunt, herd, guard or simply be a lap dog/companion? Will your dog need to spend time with an activity specific trainer (hunting, agility, etc)? Do you intend to spend time daily brushing the dog’s hair coat or do you prefer one with minimal grooming requirements?
This article is certainly not all encompassing since there many factors that go into choosing a dog. Make a list of the traits your perfect dog would have and then begin research. Even if you opt for a mix-breed, these dogs often show traits of their component breeds. By knowing what you want and what you are realistically prepared for you will increase the chance that your new dog will fit in well with your family.