“People food” can be toxic – and even lethal – to animals, and the local Humane Society urges pet owners to avoid foods that can make an animal sick, or even kill it.
Roxanna Ritchie has been a member of the Humane Society of Cherokee County for 12 years and has seen people give human food, and even alcohol, to their pets – with dire results.
Foods that should be avoided include alcohol, avocados, candy – especially chocolate – and anything that contains Xylitol, which can be listed as birch or wood sugar.
“You should always check the labels on peanut butter,” Ritchie said.
Caffein is another danger to pets.
Fatina Willey, owner of Le Filthy Pooche, shared one of her client’s experiences with coffee beans the dog managed to snatch.
“I have a client who came in last week and she had to run her dog to an emergency vet because it ate coffee beans. It accelerated the animal’s heart so much they had to restart the dog’s heart,” Willey said.
Garlic, onions, chives and leeks are also extremely toxic to pets, Ritchie said.
“And anything that has excessive salt content, like potato chips, is bad for pets,” Ritchie said.
Nuts are on the list, as well as grapes and raisins. According to a press release from “Protectivity,” an insurance company that specializes in pet coverage, grapes and raisins can cause canine kidney failure, even in small amounts.
According to a website for emergency veterinarians, turkey in small amounts is not usually a problem for pets, but too much of the bird can lead to serious health problems, including pancreatitis, “which is dangerous and potentially deadly without the right treatment.”
“Start with just a few bites of turkey so you can determine how much your pet can eat without stomach upset,” states veterinaryemergencyvet.com.
“The very best thing to do if thinking about feeding them something, is check with your vet. Any owner should buy foods that are specifically intended for a dog or cat,” Ritchie said.
Bill Elliott, of Associated Veterinarian Clinic in Tahlequah, said rawhide toys should never be given to a dog.
“Once they eat them, the rawhide rehydrates, and when they do, the rawhide bone gets bigger and can cause an obstruction in the digestive tract,” Elliott said.
Animal bones are also not recommended by Elliott due to splintering and the danger of puncturing the intestines.
Ritchie wants Tahlequah residents to be aware of problems that are dealt with by the HSCC.
“What we deal with mainly is when a dog has been hit by a car and apparently belongs to no one, and we deal with those.” Ritchie said. “One was deliberately shot several months ago and is in recovery still.”
The biggest issue for the Humane Society is with dumping. Tahlequah does not have an animal shelter per se, but does have an effective animal control department in the city, Ritchie said.
“I’m looking at a request to place some puppies that were dumped,” Ritchie said. “We are full right now; we are state-licensed for 20 dogs and 15 cats, and we stay full most of the time. We only have space when we have an adoption, and unfortunately, Cherokee County folks are abandoning and dumping, not adopting.”
Learn more
For more information on the services available at the Humane Society of Cherokee County, go to www.humanecherokeecounty.org.