Part of a puppy's experience growing up is the wonderful world of sights, smells, sounds, and most importantly, tastes. To your young pup, just about anything tastes good. From your old gym shoes, to the block of chocolate you left on the counter, if it's available, your dog is probably chewing on it right now. Let us leave puppies aside and talk about dogs of all ages now.
Your dog is not human — it fails to distinguish between right or wrong, good or bad, unless you train it to. At the time of this writing, my puppy will stick his head into any garbage bin, take out whatever looks good and start chewing at it. Left- over food at parks and playgrounds also seem like free tasty snacks. However, it is absolutely important that you monitor what is going into your dog's mouth at all times, because what you don't know — can kill your dog.
A list of some important things you should never feed your dog include:
Chocolate
Chocolate is toxic for dogs, as it contains caffeine and theobromine. After a dog eats chocolate, sickness, vomiting, and in extreme cases, even death are possible. If you find your dog eating chocolate, take it away and consult a veterinarian immediately.
Onions and Garlic
Garlic, and especially onions, contain thisoulphate, which is also toxic to dogs. Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and general illness are usually the symptomps associated if thisoulphate has been digested. Contact a veterinarian immediately.
Chicken Bones
Chicken bones have a wonderful tendency to get stuck in a dog's throat or the root of its mouth. Chicken bones also contain a sharp piece known as the splinter which is extremely sharp and can cut or cause your dog's windpipe to become stuck.
Medication
All medication should be kept away from dogs. Dogs usually love the smell and sweet taste of medication. It is not unusual for a dog to chew through a bottle of dropped medication and eat the contents. Aspirin is one exception, which can actually help ease pain such as arthritis. Before ever considering giving your dog Aspirin for pain, consult your veteranarian.
Antifreeze
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which is absolute lethal — even in small doses. Keep all pets away from an antifreeze spill, as the sweet smell and taste is attractive to anyone around with a sensitive enough nose to pick it up. If your dog consumes any amount of antifreeze, rush him immediately to the veteranarian.
Joe Gajda and his family own 2 mixed breed dogs and operate the dog owners resource site http://www.dogtwist.com
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