What you CAN and CANNOT feed your dog?

[Wookie'sMom]

Here's a link: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grapes

It has to do with kidney failure.

[Canadianrotti]

WOW !!! I am sure glad I asked. We do not have grapes very often (to expensive), so they have not had much to date.

I love this forum, I am sure it will add years to our dogs life !!!

[VDT Rotts]

raw carrots and raw potoatos daily are used by european breeders. If you look at a number of well known breeders sites they advertise carrots. Of course oil, eggs and raw meats are good also. My dogs love the raw vegies.

[diddybopper04]

Carrots and potatoes have the some of the highest glycemic indices of any vegetables. For white potatoes, it's higher than straight table sugar.

My dogs get incidental amounts of these foods.

[Candie]

Thanx all for telling me what is appropriate to feed my dog and what is not, I found all of your posts very useful.

[Judi W]

Avacados? Avoderm has always had avacado in it as it is specially formulated for skin problems and I know several people who swear by it.

I think one should keep in mind that many of the cautions regard "in excess" consumption.

[rottsnroses]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Avacados? Avoderm has always had avacado in it as it is specially formulated for skin problems and I know several people who swear by it.

I think one should keep in mind that many of the cautions regard "in excess" consumption.

Avocado is on the ASPCA's list of Foods to Avoid Feeding to Your Pet. The inclusion of "death" as one of the clinical signs on the avocado page is enough for me to avoid it entirely. Avoderm contains only avocado oil, so maybe the oil is devoid of persin???

Originally Posted by ASPCA

http://www.aspca.org
Common Name: Avocado
Scientific Name: Persea americana
Family: Lauraceae
Toxic Principle: persin
Clinical signs: vomiting, diarrhea, death, inflammation of mammary glands of rabbits, goats, cattle, and horses- Cardiac failure in goats- Respiratory distress, generalized congestion, fluid accumulation around the heart.

Originally Posted by ASPCA Newsletter

Thinking of giving Polly a little something extra with her cracker? While there are a few foods that both humans and pets can enjoy, there are others that, while perfectly palatable for people, can be dangerous to our animal companions. The fruit of the avocado, for example, poses a threat to a number of species. "Avocados contain a toxic component called persin," explains Jill A. Richardson, DVM, of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), "which has been shown to produce cardiac tissue damage, respiratory distress and mammary gland damage in a variety of animals--including horses, goats, sheep, dogs, cattle, rabbits, fish and birds."

Brandon Humane Society Avocado
The avocado is very dangerous to all animals – the fruit, leaves, stem, and pit are all considered toxic parts of the plant. The toxic substance in the Avocado is called persin, which is a fatty acid derivative. Although poisonous to both cats and dogs, this plant is particularly deadly to birds. This is also a proven poison to various other types of animals including: goats, sheep, horses, cattle, rabbits and even fish! Ingestion of the avocado plant can lead to cardiovascular problems, and often results in death. This plant is highly toxic, and in animals symptoms can range vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, generalized congestion, fluid accumulation around the heart, and heart failure. The avocado is deadly and should not be fed to any pet under any circumstances.

http://www.tailwagginsbakery.com... avocados are just one more thing for your curious companion to get into that they shouldn't. Unknown to most people, avocados are toxic to many four-legged friends.

The earliest known cases of avocado poisoning date back to 1942, and since that date avocado poisoning has been reported in a wide variety of domesticated animals. The toxin responsible is widely believed to be persin, a chemical which is part of the plant's natural defense mechanism. Persin can be found in the ripe fruit, the skin and the pit, and is a potent anti-bacterial and insecticide.

Avocado is a natural food for some animals, and apparently the digestive systems of these animals do not break down the cellular portions of the fruit where the highest concentration of persin is found. Avocado is not part of most domesticated animals natural diet. The digestive systems of our pets have not developed a natural tolerance to persin, and most will experience some reaction to the toxin. The severity of the effects will vary with amount consumed and breed. Common symptoms include fluid accumulation (swelling) around the lips, mouth, eyelids, head and neck of the animal. Internally, there may be fluid accumulation around the heart, and damage to the muscle tissue of the heart. In severe cases, cardiac failure may occur. Lactating females may develop mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands), and their milk may appear thick or clotted.

Cultivation of avocado is limited to the southern portions of North America and various tropical regions around the world. If you live in an area where avocados are grown, your dog's risk is even more acute. For some animals, the toxins contained in the leaves and bark of the avocado tree are more potent than those found in the edible portion of the fruit. If your dog eats these portions of the tree, the results may be immediate, and they may be fatal.

Do a Google search for "persin avocado" and you'll find many reasons why you would want to avoid feeding it to a dog.

[Judi W]

I didn't say I was feeding it - too expensive to give to the dogs!!!! Just that it is in the skin forumlas and they seem to be quite successful. Perhaps it is the oil

[VDT Rotts]

Originally Posted by diddybopper04

Carrots and potatoes have the some of the highest glycemic indices of any vegetables. For white potatoes, it's higher than straight table sugar.

My dogs get incidental amounts of these foods.

While that is true, they are not being feed it in bulk. I don't believe I have ever seen a fat dogs from these products. Any good rottweiler book will tell you otherwise, that includes the old ADRK manuals of raising Rottweilers. It is a staple of nutrition for a those whom I know overseas, and I tend to trust them. Please do not post breeder names..kinda famous breeder insists of these and other raw vegetables, and they even published it. Not trying to argue, just that the ages have proven the needs of vegetables in a dogs daily nutrition, and these are not detremental. With respect to glycemic index foods, yes these are, but glycemic index is more geared towards human consumption than animals. Here is a list of benefits excerpt from a breeder of numerous World, French, German, Swiss Champions when I inquired why he insisted I use carrots (granted, this was about a brand they sell in Europe, but it has pretty much the same benefits as the U.S> carrots when I asked further):

Contain distilled oils to help fight worms and parasites.
Support the immune system and improve health.
Build resistance to infections.
Improve the skin and coat.
Acts as an antioxidant.
Give your dog richer, darker coat pigment.
Easy to store, needs no refrigeration, no spoilage.
Improve stool consistency.
Are convenient to carry on road trips. Dogs love the taste!
Contain iron and further the metabolism of the liver and thyroid.
Help in the formation of blood cells.
Breeders and dog show exhibitors have found using carrots as a food supplement has proven effective in rearing puppies as well as adults. It will help firm up those loose bowel movements and diarrhea related to feeding. They have found it improves their dogs pigmentation and coat. Reds become redder and all other colors become richer and darker throughout the dogs body. When feeding white dogs it is advised to use with some caution. It is possible if they are fed an excessive amount, a red tint can start to appear. If this happens decrease the dosage or discontinue use and the color will return to normal.

[Urska]

What do I feed my dog when I feed home prepared meals:
-meat source: turkey, beef, fish (mostly the heads), chicken, beef heart, kidney, liver, paunch (just for the taste)...
-carbohydrates: rice, macaroni, oat meal
-vegetables:carrots, tomatos, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, garlic...
-diary products: quarg, yoghurt, kefir
-fruit: almost everything except grapes
-what I add: herbs, flaxseeds, sesamy seeds, olive oil, flax oil, honey

[rottsnroses]

Ok, this avocado thing had me curious, so I called the ASPCA Poison Control Center and Breeders Choice, the makers of Avoderm.

Avoderm says that the plant, the stem, the seed, and the skin contain persin, but maintain that their findings are different than that of the ASPCA in that the oil (which incidentally is extracted from the seed) and the meat are not toxic to cats or dogs, only birds.

Originally Posted by Avoderm Customer Service

We've been making our product for 20 years and haven't killed any dogs yet that we know of.

On the other hand, ASPCA Poison Control Center said that all parts of the avocado plant and fruit contain persin, and are considered to be toxic to a number of animals, including dogs. More so in cats and birds than dogs, but nonetheless, they do not recommend feeding avocado to dogs. While the fruit contains less persin than the plant, the stem, the seed or the skin, it still contains enough persin to potentially cause complications, particularly in smaller dogs. Avoderm told me that they have contacted ASPCA Poison Control on numerous occasions regarding revising their position; however, they have not budged.

I also asked about garlic, as it is not on their list of toxic plants, but there are a number of websites classifying it as dangerous as onions. Their response was that the compound found in onions is also present in garlic, however, it is in much more minute amounts. The amount of garlic required to cause the same problems as onions would be a pound or more, so they don't consider it toxic enough to add to their list. They consider garlic to be safe in reasonable amounts, but they also don't add it to their list of safe plants either as "there are some dogs that might eat a pound of garlic".