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.

Welcome Jen Wilbur Guest Blogger

I happened across Jen's blog and fell in love with her photos and dogs. May be the best dog blog ever. If you love dogs and the beach or just a great site to visit to make you smile, her blog is a must see. It will grab your heart as it did mine. You can find her blog at A Dog's Beach (click link).

Let's meet Jen.
Jen Wilbur lives in San Diego and takes her two French Bulldogs to a local 24-hour leash-free beach almost daily. She shares photos, sometimes stories, of the multitude of dogs she encounters via her blog, A Dog’s Beach  She’s my first guest blogger and today shares stories and pics of Lily, one of the beach’s most famous rescue dogs. I am so excited that she has shared Lily's story with us.
Lily's Tale, Rescued By A Beach. Be sure to click on links for original postings on A Dog's Beach and get more of Lily's story.
Lily,  an Australian cattle dog, was found abandoned on the side of the freeway in Arizona   while one of our beach's regulars, Nate, was coming home after a Thanksgiving visit last year.
She was just a pup when Nate took her home to San Diego, knowing at least one of the dog lovers at our beach would take very good care of her. And boy was he right! Kurt and Sharon had recently lost two dear dogs of theirs and brought a new, older dog, Fetch (Lily's "brother" now), into the fold. When the little bundle of energy (now known as Lily) entered the picture, I think it was a done deal. She quickly found a warm home with Kurt, Sharon and Fetch and visits the beach every morning. Lucky dog! She wouldn't have had that life in Arizona, for sure.
The story of Lily is one that is characteristic of many at A Dog's Beach.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of dog lovers that bring their dogs to the beach daily, and if they can't make it daily they are there as often as they can. Seeing the dogs play with each other, in the water, chasing seagulls and curiously greeting people is a joy to watch.
While there is a group of folks I see quite regularly, I'm always meeting another interesting person and discovering new breeds and mixes I never knew existed. There are purebred pups and every combo you can imagine, and all are spoiled equally.
But Lily and her peeps are also an example of how a community can be so helpful and giving.
Molly and Al adopted the dog of another regular after she couldn't keep her pup any longer. We all met Doris when she took her annual sabbatical to our beach and other places to avoid the cold Canadian winters. She came back one time just to watch the home and dogs of people she'd met at the beach.
Don't get me started on how many balls Riptide (my dog) has managed to charm out of others because he wants it so badly.
The stories are endless.
Lily is one lucky dog among some pampered pooches here in San Diego.

Lily was a little wiggly when I tried to take a recent pic, but here she is just last week with her "brother" Fetch.

Lily after a little bit of fun in the water. Love the definition in her wet coat.

Even if you don't live here, come visit. There's even a hotel just steps away from the beach that is happy to put you and your furry friend up for a night or two.

Jen, Thanks for joining us. I love your blog and the dogs. My six are now impatiently waiting for a trip to the beach. No water in sight here, but maybe they will get a treat soon. By the way, Jen, I am now following you on twitter! Check out Jen's blog and then visit her on twitter at SDDogBeach and RockstarJen .