For most dog owners, dogs aren't just merely a man's best friend. They consider their dogs a part of their family, and they would take care of their dog as much as they take care of their family. One of the worst, but still understated, things that could happen to your pet dog is poisoning.
Dog poisoning can be caused by countless of things such as from the food they eat, your medicine that they were able to find and chew on, or even the flower you have on your garden. Dog poisoning can have a wide range of adverse effects on your pet. It can either be mild poisoning, which is easy to treat, or a severe case, which could be fatal for your dog.
What to Avoid: Things That Could Poison Your Dog
Dogs can get a case of poisoning from a wide range of things you have at home.
Plants
One of the most common causes of dog poisoning is a result of their contact with some dangerous plants you might have at home.
For one, a palm lily can be harmful to your pets. It contains toxic elements such as glycosides and steroidal and once a dog eats any part of this plant, whether its berries, flower, or roots, it can irritate the dog's digestive tract and cause serious trouble.
According to this site, plants that can poison your dog or other pets include Aloe, Amaryllis, American Holly, American Bittersweet, Apple, Apricot, Black Cherry, Carnation, Chives, Chamomile, and many others.
While you can't always prevent your dog from being poisoned by dangerous plants, it still helps that you keep a leash with you especially when you are in a densely plant-populated space.
Household Products
A lot, if not all, of cleaners you have at home, can cause dog poisoning when ingested by your pet. Once your dog digests any strong and harsh chemical, it can create a considerable risk of lethal poisoning on both their immune system and their bodies.
According to this site, among the household products that can harm your dog includes gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner, lye, chlorine bleach, detergents, pesticides, acetone, glue, pine oil, fabric softener, and many others.
The best way you can prevent your dog from being poisoned by this harmful chemicals is to store them in places that your dog can's access. Keep them out of reach and placed in a tightly closed cabinet your dog can't open.
When cleaning your house using these products, you can keep your dog in a separate room for a while, just until the potentially harmful chemicals are absorbed or have dried out.
Human Food
There is a reason why it is recommended to let your dog eat dog foods instead of human foods. There are a lot of human foods that can cause dog poisoning, especially greens and spices. Parsley, for one, can make a dish flavorful but it can cause symptoms similar to sunburn to your dog when consumed.
One of the best ways you can avoid this kind of dog poisoning is to stick to giving them quality dog treats and foods. Dog foods are thoroughly vetted to guarantee that there are no ingredients that can cause poisoning to your dog.
Poisoning has become even more rampant because of the rise in the trend of making homemade or natural dog foods. If you prefer to give fresh food to your dog instead of commercialized dog foods, it is important to know what is safe and what isn't when making homemade dog food recipes.
Tips to Improve Your Dog's Diet
With a lot of things and foods that can possibly poison your dog, it's a whole lot tougher to decide what to feed your pet. Here are some tips that should help you improve your dog's diet.
Introduce Fresh Whole Foods
Fruits and vegetables and other similar whole foods contain tons of live enzymes that can significantly benefit your dog's overall health. This kind of foods contains fiber that helps improve digestion.
Go Organic as Much as Possible
There are a lot of GMO issues and genetically modified foods, while approved for human consumption they might not be as safe as one might think especially for dogs. There are already a few emerging dog issues today due to GM foods. While there are still no known similar issues happening to humans, it is worth noting that dogs have one-eighth of the human lifespan.
Avoid Making Shelf-Stable Foods as Your Dog's Staple Diet
Dog owners should avoid making shelf-stable dog foods as a significant part of your dog's diet. Shelf-stable dog foods are useful when pressed with time, and your dog needs to eat.
While they are promoted to have balanced nutrition for your dog, it's all synthetic supplementation. This kind of food lacks live enzymes because of their industrial cooking process.
Conclusion
The case of dog poisoning can be mild, but can also be severe and detrimental to the health and life of your dog. It is always essential to be mindful of what you feed your dog and what environment you are bringing your pet into to avoid dog poisoning and the dire symptoms that come with it.
Author Bio
I am a DIY Home Improvement, a Pet Lover and a Health Enthusiast. I love tinkering with everything around the house and share my tips and knowledge via my blog Equipment Area.
