New India_Assurance_ISSUE_July-2018

family
30 wellness
Are You Feeding Your
Pet ‘People Foods’?
Most people consider a pet a
member of their family. We don’t
stop at giving our pet dogs and
cats a place in our homes, beds
and sometimes even in wills; we
also share with them our foods.
But this is not a good idea because
the diet that we feed them can
directly impact their health,
exposing them to or keeping
them free of sickness, allergy and
obesity. Here are a few things that
you should not share with your pet
dogs or cats:
Chocolate & coffee
Caffeinated drinks and foods
can cause your cat or dog to
become restless, have rapid
breathing, heart palpitations and
muscle tremors. That is because
these products contain substances
called methylxanthines. When
pets ingest it methylxanthines
can cause vomiting and diarrhea,
panting, excessive thirst and
urination, hyperactivity, abnormal
heart rhythm, tremors, seizures
and even death. Dark chocolate
is more dangerous than milk
chocolate.
Raw meat & eggs
Raw meat and eggs always carry
the risk of Salmonella or E. coli
associated with these foods. There
will be vomiting and diarrhea for
some animals. Consult your vet
before you add them to your pet’s
diet.
Milk and dairy
products
Like people, pets can be
lactose-intolerant too. Because
pets do not possess significant
amounts of lactase (the enzyme
that breaks down lactose in
milk), milk and other dairy-based
products in significant quantities
might cause some of them
gastrointestinal distress. There
will be abdominal pain, bloating,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in
some while some may not have
any discomfort at all.
Grapes & raisins
Cats won’t eat these but if you
feed them to your dogs they can
suffer acute kidney failure.
Citrus plants
Pets show obvious revulsion
for citrus plants. The American
Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals considers
lemons, limes, oranges and
grapefruit to be toxic to dogs and
cats. The offenders in the citrus
fruits include essential oils and
psoralen, a naturally-occurring
compound in some plants. The
essential oil, limonene, is toxic
to pets. Citrus oil extract can be
particularly dangerous, causing
depression, drooling, falling,
weakness, hypothermia and low
blood pressure.
Onions & garlic
A staple in many human diets,
onions and garlic can cause
gastrointestinal irritation and could
lead to red blood cell damage in
pets. Cats are more susceptible
but if consumed in significant
quantities dogs are also at risk.
Despite all the precautions that
you take, you might just miss a
treat your pet has sneaked from
the table or counter. If they show
restlessness, are vomiting or
whining or have diarrhea, call up
your vet immediately.
yourwellness.com • Volume VII • Issue II • July 2018