FIDO AND FOOD SAFETY

Heading toward the Holidays means spending more time in the kitchen with the family pooch in the mix, under your feet, sniffing at the stuffing.  Although the top 2 poisons for dogs are people medications and flea & tick products, many items commonly found on kitchen shelves can harm your dog too.  For instance, baking powder and baking soda are highly toxic.  So are nutmeg and other spices.  Some foods and beverages that are perfectly safe for people can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal, for our canine companions.  Foods such as Chocolate, Alcohol, Avocados, Macadamia Nuts, Grapes & Raisins and Xylitol (sweetener found in sugar-free gum & candy) are the at the top of the list.

If you just can’t resist those puppy dog eyes, here are some safe “human foods” you can share with Fido.

• Thoroughly cooked lean meats, minus the fat & bones.
• Slices of apples, oranges, bananas & watermelon, minus the seeds & stems.
• Carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber slices – no raw potatoes.
• Cooked plain rice or pasta.

For a more comprehensive list of poisonous plants, food, medicines and more visit www.WebMD.com.  And keep the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center phone number handy (888) 426-4435.