This week, advice from
Dr. Kym Mitchell

Summer is a fun time to enjoy the great outdoors with your dogs. However, you must be careful not to give into the temptation of sharing your yummy picnic snacks and camping food with your furry friends. Any change in diet can result in an upset stomach for a dog, yet there are certain seemingly innocent food items that are particularly dangerous for your pet’s health.

Most people are aware of the danger chocolate poses to dogs. Chocolate contains Theobromine, which is a chemical similar to caffeine. Dogs metabolize this chemical very slowly resulting in hyperexcitability and even seizures. It only takes one ounce of milk chocolate to produce toxic levels of Theobromine in a five-pound dog.

Another seemingly innocent food that can wreak havoc with our dogs is an onion. We love them raw on our burgers and sautéed with our steaks, but if our pooches get a hold of them they can produce a potentially fatal disease called Heinz Body Anemia. Treatment for this disease requires hospitalization and a blood transfusion – not what you would expect from eating an onion. Garlic, the cousin of the onion, can also produce anemia, yet compared to onions a larger quantity of garlic must be ingested to make your dog sick.

Lastly, grapes, a favorite fruit of kids and adults alike, can cause kidney failure in some dogs. Grape toxicity is a relatively new discovery and it is unknown why some dogs are susceptible and others are not. Don’t take a chance with your pet’s health and keep those grapes out of Fido’s reach!

If you think your dog has ingested any of these foods make a beeline to your veterinarian’s office for immediate treatment.

  KYM MITCHELL, PET PREDICAMENTS