miakoda
09-03-2006, 01:27 AM
Finally a woman "journalist" with sense.
http://www.dhonline.com/art/flaghome.gif (http://www.dhonline.com/news/home_garden)
The truth about grapes and pit bulls
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By Jennifer Gardner
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=photo></TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo align=middle><!-- AdSys ad not found for news/home_garden:middle --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
From time to time, readers send me their questions about pet care.
Although I am not a veterinarian or an animal behavior expert, I do answer those queries that don’t involve a major health or behavior issue. Please send your questions to me using the contact information at the bottom of this column. Although I will try, I cannot guarantee a personal response to every question, but look for answers to appear in future columns.
Question: I heard that grapes are poisonous to my dog. We have grapevines growing in our yard. I haven’t noticed that my dog is eating them, but would it be a good idea to pull them out?
Answer: It’s true that grapes and raisins can be poisonous to dogs. While your dog can probably tolerate a couple of grapes, especially if it’s a bigger dog, grape toxicity is nothing to take lightly. It causes gastrointestinal distress, with signs that include vomiting and diarrhea, but the big issue is that eating the grapes can lead to kidney failure.
If you suspect your dog has eaten grapes or raisins, don’t mess around. Go to a vet immediately. Depending on whether the dog is already showing symptoms, the vet may induce vomiting, pump the stomach and begin intravenous fluids.
It would be a good idea to supervise your dog closely around any grapevines. If you cannot do that or you’re just not sure, perhaps you could put fencing around the vines so there’s no chance of your dog eating them.
To learn all about how this toxicity was identified and more about its effects, visit www.aspca.org and look for the Animal Poison Control Center information.
Q: I heard that rawhide was not good for my dog. I have given him rawhide bones forever! They sell them at the pet store, and I watch him when he gets a new one. Do I need to stop giving him these?
A: Rawhide bones can cause problems if the dog can chew off pieces.
Those pieces can get lodged in the throat and cause choking. Also, when the bones get mushy, the dog can more easily ingest the rawhide.
There are safer things to give your dog for chewing. However, any dog that is a tremendously strong chewer can destroy many kinds of chew bones. You might want to look for a rubber Kong toy or something similar that is virtually indestructible, and watch your pet closely when he chews. Always remove a toy that has been chewed enough that pieces are coming off.
My personal dog is not a huge chewer, and does quite well with Nylabones. I don’t give him rawhide bones just because I don’t want to take a chance.
Q. My neighbor has a new pit bull. I’m terrified to go outside! How do I know if it will attack me or my children?
A. It’s good to be wary of strange dogs, but it’s also important to not be fearful for no reason. Has the dog been outside, off leash, without its owner? Has it been menacing and given you actual cause for fear? Or do you just think that pit bulls are supposed to be “bad“?
The truth is that most pit bulls are wonderful dogs. Responsible owners make sure their dogs are not off leash or in a position to cause harm. And, pit bulls are normally not human aggressive. Bred to be working dogs, and later to fight dogs and larger animals, pits had to be easy to work with.
It’s only been recently that pit bulls have gotten such a bad reputation. In the past, other breeds have been the ones to fear, and in the future a different breed yet will be getting all the attention.
I suggest that you talk to your neighbor and find out if you can meet the dog. You’ll be better able to see if your fears are warranted.
Also explain your concerns and ask that your neighbor not have the dog off leash unless it is in a fenced yard.
Finally, you may want to be careful about letting your dogs interact with the pit. Because of their genetic heritage as fighters, some very gentle pits can be aggressive toward other animals.
Jennifer Gardner is a freelance writer and editor and a board member at Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis. She enjoys writing about all animals but specializes in rabbits and other small pets. If you have questions or comments about this column or other pet issues, please e-mail Jennifer at jennifer@visualpeople.com (jennifer@visualpeople.com) or write c/o The Corvallis Gazette-Times.
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/home_garden/home03.txt
http://www.dhonline.com/art/flaghome.gif (http://www.dhonline.com/news/home_garden)
The truth about grapes and pit bulls
http://www.dhonline.com/art/spacer.gif
By Jennifer Gardner
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=photo></TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo align=middle><!-- AdSys ad not found for news/home_garden:middle --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
From time to time, readers send me their questions about pet care.
Although I am not a veterinarian or an animal behavior expert, I do answer those queries that don’t involve a major health or behavior issue. Please send your questions to me using the contact information at the bottom of this column. Although I will try, I cannot guarantee a personal response to every question, but look for answers to appear in future columns.
Question: I heard that grapes are poisonous to my dog. We have grapevines growing in our yard. I haven’t noticed that my dog is eating them, but would it be a good idea to pull them out?
Answer: It’s true that grapes and raisins can be poisonous to dogs. While your dog can probably tolerate a couple of grapes, especially if it’s a bigger dog, grape toxicity is nothing to take lightly. It causes gastrointestinal distress, with signs that include vomiting and diarrhea, but the big issue is that eating the grapes can lead to kidney failure.
If you suspect your dog has eaten grapes or raisins, don’t mess around. Go to a vet immediately. Depending on whether the dog is already showing symptoms, the vet may induce vomiting, pump the stomach and begin intravenous fluids.
It would be a good idea to supervise your dog closely around any grapevines. If you cannot do that or you’re just not sure, perhaps you could put fencing around the vines so there’s no chance of your dog eating them.
To learn all about how this toxicity was identified and more about its effects, visit www.aspca.org and look for the Animal Poison Control Center information.
Q: I heard that rawhide was not good for my dog. I have given him rawhide bones forever! They sell them at the pet store, and I watch him when he gets a new one. Do I need to stop giving him these?
A: Rawhide bones can cause problems if the dog can chew off pieces.
Those pieces can get lodged in the throat and cause choking. Also, when the bones get mushy, the dog can more easily ingest the rawhide.
There are safer things to give your dog for chewing. However, any dog that is a tremendously strong chewer can destroy many kinds of chew bones. You might want to look for a rubber Kong toy or something similar that is virtually indestructible, and watch your pet closely when he chews. Always remove a toy that has been chewed enough that pieces are coming off.
My personal dog is not a huge chewer, and does quite well with Nylabones. I don’t give him rawhide bones just because I don’t want to take a chance.
Q. My neighbor has a new pit bull. I’m terrified to go outside! How do I know if it will attack me or my children?
A. It’s good to be wary of strange dogs, but it’s also important to not be fearful for no reason. Has the dog been outside, off leash, without its owner? Has it been menacing and given you actual cause for fear? Or do you just think that pit bulls are supposed to be “bad“?
The truth is that most pit bulls are wonderful dogs. Responsible owners make sure their dogs are not off leash or in a position to cause harm. And, pit bulls are normally not human aggressive. Bred to be working dogs, and later to fight dogs and larger animals, pits had to be easy to work with.
It’s only been recently that pit bulls have gotten such a bad reputation. In the past, other breeds have been the ones to fear, and in the future a different breed yet will be getting all the attention.
I suggest that you talk to your neighbor and find out if you can meet the dog. You’ll be better able to see if your fears are warranted.
Also explain your concerns and ask that your neighbor not have the dog off leash unless it is in a fenced yard.
Finally, you may want to be careful about letting your dogs interact with the pit. Because of their genetic heritage as fighters, some very gentle pits can be aggressive toward other animals.
Jennifer Gardner is a freelance writer and editor and a board member at Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis. She enjoys writing about all animals but specializes in rabbits and other small pets. If you have questions or comments about this column or other pet issues, please e-mail Jennifer at jennifer@visualpeople.com (jennifer@visualpeople.com) or write c/o The Corvallis Gazette-Times.
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/home_garden/home03.txt