Chocolate & Onions & Grapes, Oh My!

Not the ingredients in the latest weird recipe but rather some common pet poisons.

The list of common foods that are toxic to our family pets may surprise you. I've been practicing veterinary medicine so long that I sometimes forget new generations of pet owners are starting over at the beginning.

Without further ado, some don'ts when it comes to sharing table foods:

Chocolate


PLEASE DON'T SHARE
(Courtesy of The behavior company)

Almost all pet owners are aware of cocoa and chocolate's toxicity. In general, the darker and more bitter the more dangerous. One chocolate chip cookie or a Hershey's kiss are unlikely to be a problem for a ninety pound labrador, but an ounce of baker's chocolate would very likely send a chihuahua to the nearest veterinary hospital.  The problem ingredient is theobromine which causes the usual array of gastrointestinal symptoms, vomiting and diarrhea being the common signs. Higher doses however can lead to hyperactivity, changes in heart rhythm, seizures and death.


Macadamia Nuts
I had a pup in just last week who had helped himself to a significant serving of these smooth round little morsels. He was intermittently vomiting primarily whole nuts but happily eating most of his meals. I was a little concerned that the unchewed nuts would be a good fit for his small intestine and a blockage was imminent. Fortunately his malaise was limited to a few days of belly aching. It could have been worse, symptoms of macadamia nut poisoning include weakness, vomiting, joint pain, fever and depression.

(Courtesy of dogsite.do.am)

Grapes & Raisins
Ingestion of grapes and raisins can lead to the sudden onset of kidney failure. The toxic dose seems variable by weight and individual. So far, there's no way to know which dogs will develop kidney failure from a few grapes or several. Symptoms include vomiting, increased thirst and excessive to reduced urination as the injury progresses. Quick veterinary care is necessary if affected animals are to survive.

Onions
Onions and related garlic and leeks cause the hemoglobin in canine and feline red blood cells to precipitate or "clump," rendering those cells unable to carry oxygen properly and marking them for destruction by the body's immune system. This quickly leads to anemia, evidenced by pale gums, increased heart and respiratory rates, weakness, poor appetite and vomiting. How much is toxic? A thirty pound dog eating 1/4 cup of yummy sauteed onions and garlic would be in trouble.

DOUGHN'T!
(Courtesy of petswebmd.com)

Raw bread dough
If a pet eats raw dough made with yeast his body heat causes the dough to rise and the fermentation also produces alcohol. Signs can include bloating, non-productive retching, lethargy, respiratory depression, weakness and collapse.



Xylitol
This alcohol sugar is a sweetening agent in many candies, gums, baked goods and human toothpaste. It can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage, both of which can be life-threatening. Signs in dogs can include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking and seizures.

If you really need to share a people snack with your pup or kitten, try raw carrots, green beans, apple or melon, which have the added advantage of being low calorie!

Of Llamas and Cats

Few newborns are more endearing than kittens and crias.



(Courtesy of wishlistz.blogspot.com) 

In the case of kittens, they're the perfect size for snuggling and endlessly entertaining when they reach the pounce and play stage. One kitten is great fun, two or more is a party of climbing, hide and seek and wrestling. Toes under blankets need beware when a kitten's on the prowl.




(Courtesy of animaladay.blogspot.com)

Crias, the young of alpacas and llamas, are also endearing. Gaining their legs within minutes of birth, their upright posture and the way they seem to march forward always reminds me of toy soldiers. How could you not want to cuddle something warm and woolly and curious that looks like a stuffed animal come to life?


AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM!

Well, part of it anyway. Kittens and crias are such adorable youngsters that when they happen to be orphaned human caretakers tend to step in to save them, and then some. It's the 'and then some' that gets us into trouble.

In the case of kittens, many rescuers bottle feed and raise them to adulthood, completely unaware of the potential for danger. I've lost count of the number of adult cats I've seen in the exam room who were screaming, spitting, hissing terrors whose owners, sporting well-scratched arms and legs, have said something like, "I don't understand it. I raised her from 3 days old..." And now the very pet they've nursed and loved attacks them at home without noticeable warning and looks at me with something akin to murderous intent.

Similarly, hand-reared llamas can become so aggressive to people that there's a term for it, "Berzerk Male Syndrome". Despite the name, bottle-fed females can also develop aggression toward humans but usually limit their acting out to spitting and being generally difficult to handle. Berzerk males on the other hand are out to kill.

What's going on with these rescue cases?

Current thought is that the young animals imprint on their human caretakers, never developing a respect for human boundaries. It's not so much because of the bottle-feeding as it is the cuddling and handling that often accompanies it and isolation from others of the same species.

Male llamas by nature are territorial and aggressive in their defense of space and resources. If they perceive humans as "equals" because they've been hand-raised, when puberty hits people become the competition. Humans lose every time.

Although I'm not aware of any formal studies regarding hand-raised orphan kittens I've seen the results often enough to suspect something similar occurs in their little feline brains. Many cats are significantly less than delighted to be to be interrupted in their napping, placed in a carrier and driven a few miles to a strange-smelling veterinary clinic. Some will hide, some grumble a bit and the occasional patient complains loudly at a temperature taking or other invasion of personal space. In most cases there's an obvious reason for the fearfulness or complaint and I'm accustomed to working quickly and quietly to make their visit as stress-free as possible. And then there are the special cases who don't need any provocation to attack at home or in the exam room. Often when I ask, they've been hand raised alone by a doting owner, never learning to interact with other cats or other people properly.

The Solution
Ideally we wouldn't have orphans to raise, but barring the impossible there are some steps to take.

Alpaca and llama breeders are, (or should be), aware of the risks involved and take steps to raise their orphans with other llamas and discourage any playful nibbling, bumping, rearing and in-your-face behavior which seems cute in a little one but could be a prelude to trouble.

Orphaned kittens can be a little more challenging to properly socialize but every attempt should be made to find another cat to "mother" the baby, even if it  means bottle-feeding but placing the kitten elsewhere for his own good. If another cat nursing kittens can't be found, neutered adult males often make great uncles, tolerating a kitten's playfulness while teaching him his manners. And you can always call your veterinarian for ideas, most of us have a soft spot for small bundles of fur...