Can the Food Your Dog Eats Be Leading to Seizures?

Did you know that several of the food items you feed your canine friend may well possibly cause seizures in a dog? It really is essential to stay knowledgeable concerning what is actually healthful and what's not for your dog. This particular article discusses 9 food items which could cause your canine to have seizures.

I believe that commercial dog food is a culprit for many illnesses in a dog, and that it contributed to or may even have caused my dog's seizures. Cory, my dog had seizures and they gradually lowered in occurrences once I ceased feeding him kibble and canned dog food; then, five years ago, they stopped completely and I never once put him on any anti- epileptic medications, that is why I have come to this conclusion. But, did you know that there are other foods that can harm your dog?s health, even causing seizures? A few of these foods were shocking to me!

* Chocolate Foods.

Almost everyone knows that chocolate can cause seizures and even death in a dog. My dog, Cory, ate some of my son's chocolate candy from Halloween. By the time Jayson had discovered him, Cory had his head deep inside the bowl of chocolate candy bars, tail just wagging back and forth, as he had already eaten quite a bit of it before his discovery. Jayson called poison control and was advised to pour Hydrogen Peroxide liquid down Cory?s throat, which made Cory vomit. I am very glad that I keep Hydrogen Peroxide in my first aid cabinet. Jayson took Cory outside for this messy task. Fortunately, Jayson found out about the incident quickly enough to ensure that no harm was done. If you think your dog has gotten into some chocolate, and you do not know how much time has passed, you should contact a vet right away. If you catch your dog in the act, then try the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment. What some people don't know is that dark chocolate is even more dangerous to dogs than milk chocolate.

* Any product containing Onion Powder or an Onion itself.

These contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can cause damage to the red blood cells, resulting in the dog becoming anemic.

* Raw Fish is off limits.

Particularly in Oregon and Washington, a lot of fish are contaminated with a fluke that is contaminated with a bacteria that is known to trigger seizures and possibly even death when eaten without it being cooked thoroughly. The danger is completely eliminated if you cook the fish first, although you have to be careful to get all the bones out of the cooked fish before allowing your dog to eat it. I?ve been told that freezing the fish at a certain temperature will also kill the fluke & eliminate the problem, but I?m not enough of a scientist to know what that temperature is or how long the fish would need to be frozen in order to be comfortable feeding raw fish to my dog.

* Nutmeg.

It never really crossed my mind to put nutmeg on Cory's food, not even at the holidays, but it has been shown to cause tremors, seizures, and yes, even death. Just don?t share any of your cookies containing nutmeg with your pooch and you should be OK with this one.

* Mushrooms can be dangerous.

There are mushrooms out there, especially the ones found in the wild, that contain toxins that have been shown to cause problems for canines. I already was aware of this danger, so I was able to keep Cory from eating any as we took our walks. ?Leave it? is a great command to teach your dog early.

* Cat food.

Poor Cory, he loves to lick the plate clean after our kitty's done eating, and now that I found out about this one, he won't be able to anymore. Cat food is made with too many fats and too high a protein content for dogs to eat. Well, maybe licking the plate is still an option, but remember that cat food is not interchangeable with dog food.

* Apple Seeds are specific no-no's.

Apple seeds and other pits from fruit contain the poison cyanide, which can cause seizures.

* Raisins and Grapes

About the time that I discovered this information, I was reading a training book for dogs that actually advocated using raisins as training treats, even though they can cause kidney failure in dogs. Needless to say, the author was defensive when I contacted her with this knowledge and my concerns, stating that she had always used raisins as training treats for her dogs. All I can say is be aware of the risks and do more research before giving grapes or raisins to your dog.

* The Whites of Eggs

feeding your dog the entire egg is not a problem, the issue comes with the splitting of the whites and the yolk, the whites of an egg contain a protein named avidin, and it actually depletes your dog's body of the essential B vitamins. The good news is that the yolk contains the antidote to this protein, and so serving the egg in its entirety is nothing to concern yourself over.

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