Feeding your Pet Like a Human = Risk of Poisoning by Guest Blogger Julee Russo

But Mommy, that food looks so good. Slurp! I'd like a tasty sample.  WRONG!


A perfect article at Christmas time when we tend to overlook our usual dog feeding habits.

Bella: Follow Her And Julee Russo on Twitter at jbarkrusso!

Our quest blogger tonight is Julee Russo, who I met through my friend Eliza, publisher of the SilverAndGrace Newsletter for women, in Canada!

Julee's short bio gets right to the chase. A gal after my own heart! Julee writes, A dog lover who focuses on living life and savoring every moment without messing up the next :)

Let's see what dangers are lurking around tempting our furry friends:


In Julee's words:

As pet owners we all love our pets. We dress them up in cute outfits, name them after our favorite celebrity or TV character and even treat them as if they were our own children. It’s inevitable that people get attached to their animal and treat it as if it’s part of the family. This means feeding your pet human food, many foods are healthy for our pets (cottage cheese/yogurt) but Pet poisoning is a serious risk without the right knowledge.


Here are some human foods that are bad for your furry friends.

1. Chocolate and Caffeine
While we all love a nice cup of coffee or some amazing chocolate, it’s actually dangerous for pets. Eating too much of this can be toxic, causing your pet to vomit, have diarrhea, start panting and experience intense thirst. Dark chocolate is actually worse for your pet than milk chocolate. But it’s best to stay away from chocolate and caffeine altogether.

2. Alcohol
It should be a given not to give animals alcohol. But be aware that there are quite a bit of foods that contain alcohol. If your pet consumes this, it will experience some vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing and can slip into a coma or even die.

3. Macadamia Nuts & Walnuts
These nuts can be found in stores, salads, cookies, and candies. These nuts are considered to be pretty harmful to your pets. The nuts can make your dog weak, can cause vomiting and possibly tremors and hypothermia.

4. Grapes
The exact ingredient that’s bad for your animal is unknown. It is a fact, though, that grapes can cause kidney failure in animals.

5. Raw Meat and Eggs
Salmonella and E. coli can be found in raw meat and eggs. This is very harmful to your pets. Eating raw eggs causes your pet’s skin and coat to have multiple issues. On top of these items, raw bones can be really dangerous for your pet if swallowed. Bone consumption can cause him or her to die or have severe injuries if it damages the bone splinter or gets stuck in the digestive tract.

6. Xylitol
Xylitol is mostly found in gum, toothpaste and candy. Too much consumption can cause your pet to experience live failure from the amount of insulin in Xylitol. Having too much insulin can cause your pet to have low sugar levels, resulting in seizures.

7. Onions and Garlic
Garlic isn’t just bad for vampires--it’s also bad for your pets. Garlic and onions are more dangerous for dogs than cats, if your animal eats a lot of it. Having small amounts won’t be too toxic for your pet, but don’t give them significant portions.

8. Salt
If your pet eats too much salt, they can experience a lot of thirst and urination. The sodium ion can even be poisonous for your pets. If your pet begins to vomit, have diarrhea, seizures or tremors, your pet may have had too much salt. It’s important to take them to a vet because ignoring it could lead to death.

While it’s always fun to dress pets in clothes and treat them as part of the family, it’s important to keep something in mind. They’re animals. Animals might be able to wear clothing like humans, but they can’t eat all our foods.

Thanks Julee for some great information so we can keep our loved pets safe this holiday! Look for more infor from Julee in our future issues.