Some foods which are edible for humans, and even other species of animals, can pose hazards for dogs because of their different metabolism.Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas, others can cause severe illness and even death. The following list contains some of the common food items that should not be fed to dogs.

Alcoholic beverages  Can cause intoxication, Coma,and Death

Baby food  Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs.(see Onion and Garlic)

Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources  Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system.

Cat food  Generaly too high in protien and fats.

Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffiene Can contain caffiene, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and effect the heart and nervous system.

Citrus oil extracts Can cause vomiting.

Fat trimmings Can cause pancreatitis

Grapes and raisans Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys. There have been no problems associated with grape seed extract.

Hops Unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.

Human vitamin supplements containing iron  Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to other organs including the liver and kidneys.

Large amounts of liver  Can cause   vitamin A toxicity, which effects muscles and bones.

Macadamia nuts  Contain an unknown toxin, which can effect muscles, the digestive and nervous systems.

Marijuana  Depresses the nervous system, cause vomitingand changes in the heart rate.

Milk and other dairy products  Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose -free milk products are available for pets.

Moldy or spoiled food, garbage  Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs.

Mushrooms   Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.

Onions and garlic raw,cooked, or powder  Contains sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.

Persimmons  Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.

Pips from peaches and plums  Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract.

Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves, potato and tomato stems  Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem for livestock.

Raw Fish  Can result in a thiamine or vitamin B deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.

Raw eggs  Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin a vitamin B. This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain salmonella.

Salt  If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances.

String  Can become trapped in the digestive system called a string foreign body.

Sugary Foods  Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.

Table scraps  Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10 per cent of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat, bones should NOT be fed.

Tobacco  Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, callapse, coma and death.

Yeast Dough  Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Xylitol artificial sweetener  Can cause liver failure.

 

Canine Earmites

Can you amagine 1000s of little mites crawling around inside your ear canals? Just the movement of these mites in this sensitive area can drive a cat or dog mad! Is your dog rubbing his ears vigorously? And are you finding it a bit weird?

Symptoms

Just observe him for the following symptoms closely.
:Constant scratching around the ears.
:Ears are sensitive or hurt when touched.
:Dark brown to black debris in the ears.
:Rubbing the head and ears against objects.
:Head shaking.
:Foul smelling oder coming from ears.

If you feel these symptoms exist, then its time for an ear inspection. Dog ear mites are very small, but you may be able to see them with a magnifying glass.Look for small moving white specs on the dark debris in your dogs ears.If your not sure if you are dealing with an ear mite infestation or an ear infection it is best to bring your dog to a vet straight away.

What are ear mites?

So what are ear mites? Basically a dogs ears are normally warm dark and moist. This is also  a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive.Ear-mites are tiny external parasites that live in the ear canal of dogs.They have tiny tentacles that aggrivate the ear canal, making your dog susceptible to bacterial or fungal infection. They cause pain and discomfort as they actually bite through a dogs skin to feed.
Ear mites can be transmitted to other pets also. Mites have a life cycle of about three weeks. Like fleas they can survive away from an animal for a period of time. If you have any other pets you should treat each of them along with your infected pet. Make sure to give a good cleaning to any areas where your dog spends significant time-like the couch, carpets or his dog bed. Also, ear mites are the most common reason for an ear infection getting transfered from a mum to pup.

Treatment

As in any disease, early treatment of ear mites is crucial to prevent a more serious ear infection. Just remember to clean the ears throughly before treatment. Treat long enough with vet approved ear mite drops and it should be easy to rid your pet of these common pests. The treatment primarily includes washing out the debris with an insecticidal formular that will kill the mites and any eggs that may hatch in that period of time. It's also better to sprinkle some flea powder on the dogs skin. Remember, if a bacterial ear infection is left untreated it can result in loss of hearing. And do not stop the treatment mid-way, else he may get infected again, as mites lay eggs.

So prevention is better than cure, isn't it?

Is your pet scratching its ears?
Frequent ear scratching is a common symptom of ear mites. Often you will see this causes discomfort, especially if they have ear mites over a prolonged period of time. 
Solution
Fidos Ear Drops are an effective treatment for ear mite infestations, mild bacterial and fungal ear infections in dogs and cats. Apply these drops twice daily for at least 14 days.

Active constituents
SALICYLIC ACID, CHLOROCRESOL and CARBARL

Free Delivery
Buy it today with our free shipping. We usually deliver to your door within two working days!

Just click on Fidos Dog and Cat Ear drops

Sailing the high seas

There have been too many reminders on the news recently about kiwi boaties going out ill prepared. Keep all your family safe this year on the high seas. Tails can sell you a dog life jacket to suit your pet regardless of size.

Have you ever wondered what your dog is saying to you?

Dogs use body language of course, but check out this link to to gain insight into what your dog might be saying to you.