Doc E

We have a great 'sticky' up above listing things that are toxic to our dogs, but
According to the North American Pet Health Association, over 100,000 cases of pet poisoning were reported in the U.S. in 2011.
And according to Embrace Pet Insurance'sclaims database, the following were the top 20 pet poisons last year.

1.Chocolate
2.Raisins
3.Mushrooms
4.Xylitol (sweetener)
5.Grapes
6.Vitamins
7.Gum
8.Bones
9.Chicken
10.Macadamia Nuts
11.Sugar
12.Bread
13.Cake
14.Coffee
15.Corn Cobs
16.Dough
17.Meat
18.Rawhide
19.Salmon
20.Avocado

16gauge

Hmm.....I find this list a bit interesting & a bit suspect. For example, number 4 (Xylitiol) is used in some of the doggy "breath fresheners" that I've seen in places like PetSmart, ect.
Also, rawhides (18) are a staple dog 'treat' for ages.....is there some new information, or is this because a lot of it (rawhide treats) are coming in from China, where they put anything & everything poisonous in there products?
..And what's with chicken and salmon? I thought these were staples in dog food production?
Enquiring minds would like to know.........

Doc E

Rawhide chews, especially those manufactured outside the U.S., which are often advertised as 'all natural,' are usually anything but. And they can pose a number of health problems for dogs, including choking, vomiting, diarrhea, exposure to chemical residues, salmonella poisoning and stomach torsion

You may be wondering how meat can be toxic for pets. Actually, it's spoiled, rancid meat that is most often the culprit. If you feed your pet real meat, whether from the local butcher or contained in a commercial raw pet food, you should know the rules for handling it. For example, fresh raw meat should be frozen for at least three days before serving it to your pet. This will kill any bacteria or parasites that may be present.
If you prepare a homemade raw diet for your dog or cat, don't include guts. Do not feed the stomach and small and large intestines. Those are the parts of the prey we get rid of, because those are the parts that harbor parasites. You also can't allow frozen meat in any form to thaw and then re-freeze it. Once it's thawed, it must be eaten immediately or thrown away.
Cooked leftover meat that sits around too long can also turn rancid and potentially toxic, so practicing proper food waste disposal is the key to keeping your pets from being poisoned by spoiled food.

Salmon can cause poisoning in two ways. Old or leftover rancid fish can be found by your pet in a dumpster or garbage can, or the raw meat can cause "salmon poisoning."
Raw salmon (and other fish that swim upstream to spawn) can harbor a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. The parasite can harbor a rickettsial organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which causes "salmon poisoning." Freezing fish meat can inactivate both, but depends on several factors including temperature, the length of time needed to freeze the fish tissue, length of time the fish is held frozen, and the fat content of the fish.
Freezing and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days, freezing and storing at -31°F (-35°C) for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours is sufficient to kill the parasites. In a nutshell, if you feed raw salmon, freeze it for at least a week to be sure your pet won't suffer from "salmon poisoning."



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