| There's virtually no way to say no to
wet noses and begging eyes. This mentality is the reason why
most pet owners just can't help giving their pets a little
"people food" from time to time. However, owners
should be aware that several foods that are safe for humans
can, in fact, be harmful to an animal's health. Apothepet
Veterinary Pharmacy has compiled a list of guidelines to educate
pet owners on the safety of feeding animals human food.
(PRWEB) April 12, 2006 - Even though Americans
spend over $10 billion a year on pet food, people just can’t
help indulging their animals with human food as a "special
treat." Those puppy eyes, the floppy ears- there's really
no way to resist giving them just a little taste under the
table. But what is safe for a human's stomach may not be safe
for an animal's. Sharing human food with pets is not good
practice for an animal's diet and can, in some cases, be fatal.
Luckily, Apothepet (www.apothepet.com),
the specialty veterinary pharmacy that provides nationwide
services, offers human food-inspired flavorings for pet medicine
to curb those "people food" cravings and help get
the medicine down. Furthermore, the company recognizes the
importance of educating pet owners on feeding safe human treats
to four-legged family members and has issued the following
guide of "people foods" to avoid when indulging
pets.
 Rich
foods that are high in fat, such as meats with heavy gravy
or sauces, can cause discomfort and stomach pain in pets.
During the holidays, veterinarians commonly see an increased
number of cases of stomach problems and pancreatitis. The
story veterinarians often hear during the holiday season is
of a pet sniffing out a juicy turkey or some savory stuffing,
overeating and then becoming sick. Classic signs of an irritated
or inflamed pancreas include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and
vomiting.
Onions and garlic, while safe for humans, contain the toxic
ingredient thiosulphate, which can damage red blood cells
and cause anemia in cats and dogs. Onions present the highest
risk of toxicity to pets, as just a single serving can result
in anemia. Garlic, however, is less toxic than onions and
it requires a large amount of garlic to cause a dog or cat
to become ill. Some studies even show that small amounts of
garlic can actually be beneficial to the health of dogs (such
as in canine nutritional supplements).
Grapes and raisins are another human food to avoid giving
pets. To date, veterinarians have not discovered the exact
reasoning why they are so dangerous to animals. Little has
been linked to the type, brand or amount consumed, but it
has been shown that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure
in pets.
As most pet owners know, chocolate is the biggest no-no for
animals. Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that acts
as a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. Cocoa powder and cooking
chocolate are the most toxic forms as they contain ten times
the amount of theobromine than milk chocolate. A 22 pound
dog can be seriously affected by ingesting just a quarter
of a packet of cocoa powder or half a block of cooking chocolate.
Giving your pup a piece of chocolate cake or even letting
him lick the chocolate icing on the cake could cause him to
become ill. Additionally, when a dog or cat is affected by
an overdose of chocolate they can become hyperactive. The
diuretic affect of chocolate may cause the dog or cat to pass
excessive volumes of urine and the animal may be unusually
thirsty. Even more dangerous, theobromine can cause a dog
or cat’s heart to beat very rapidly or irregularly,
which could result in death if the pet is exercising or overly
active.
Now owners can indulge their pets with tasty human food flavors
such as “Red Angus Beef,” “Grilled Tuna,”
“Chicken Pot Pie,” and “Salmon Steak”
without worrying about the detriment to their pet’s
health. How? Apothepet Veterinary Pharmacy compounds pesky
pills into scrumptious, flavored, liquid medicine that will
have even the most finicky cats and dogs scampering to their
owner’s feet at medicine time. Armed with FLAVORx Veterinary
Flavors, the compounding pharmacists at Apothepet can turn
almost any pill into a tasty, flavored, liquid medicine that
will ease the woes of pet owners who have experienced the
difficulty of getting a cat or dog to swallow pills. Apothepet
delivers prescriptions locally and mails medications nationwide
by UPS. Please visit www.apothepet.com
or contact Stephen Gross at 1-866-961-5666.
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