"My Dog Ate My Homework!!"- Things Your Dog SHOULDN'T Eat!

We all had those times when we like to blame our animals for our lack of dedication to complete our every day tasks. Our dogs like to chew on things other than their toys and some times we let them get away with it. Your old high heel becomes their new chew toy. Some of us may look at the glass half full and feel as though it saves us money on dog bones, while others know the real truth about the health hazards some of these things may cause. We've researched several of items that are extremely dangerous and often fatal to your animal. Jot some of these things down and share them with your family (especially the kids), even post them on the fridge. A lot of these items are things that we give our animals every day! YIKES!!

• Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause acute renal failure in dogs.Which means their kidneys will eventually stop functioning correctly. 
• Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause brutally painful muscle weakness, tremors and paralysis. A dog can be affected by just a few nuts. Studies show that both raw and roasted macadamia's can trigger the illness. 
• Onions, Chives and Garlic: All of these ingredients contain a material called thiosulphate. Thiosulphate can cause Heinz body hemolytic anemia. Dogs and cats do not have the proper enzyme which digests thiosulphate which causing their red blood cells to clot and weaken. The clumps eventually rapture which shortens the lifespan of the cell and makes the body starve for oxygen. Onions seem to be the most dangerous toxicity although it depends on the dosage. This material can be found in raw, cooked, dehydrates or powdered onions.
• Cooked Bones: Once bones are cooked they become brittle. The most most dangerous bones are turkey and chicken bones because they cause splinters that may cause choking or the bone may puncture or become embedded in their stomach.
• Caffeine: Coffee, soda and any other caffeine related product can cause death within an animal. Caffeine causes a dog's heart to race to impeccable heights and often times dogs can suffer from seizures.
• Corn: Corn is extremely difficult for animals to digest. Their stomachs are entirely too small and their intestines could get blocked indefinitely often causing death.
• Human Medications: NEVER EVER give your animal human medications. Ibuprofen is by far the worst thing to give to your animal. Pain relievers, vitamins and other pills can be affective in a little as one dose!
• Sugarless Candies: Sugarless candies have a toxin called xylitol. It can cause liver problems and even death if consumed by your pet.
• Chocolate: We all are familiar that chocolate is bad for our dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine, a central nervous system stimulant that may cause seizures, excessive urination (leading to dehydration), and heart damage.Side effects that are noticeable in chocolate poisoning are  diarrhea, vomiting, excessive urination, hyper/restless, panting hard, fast heart rate and excessive thirst.
• Tomatoes: These contain atropine which can cause dilated pupils, tremors and irregular heartbeat. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, next is the unripe (green) tomatoes and then the ripe tomato. 
• Cat Food: Cat food is too high in protein and dogs have a problem properly digesting it.

 As you noticed, the smallest things give the most powerful punch. The next time your dog decides to steal the fruit off the kitchen table, be sure to stop him!