I was standing in a line to take care of some business this morning. In front of me but off to my left a good bit was a woman who was holding 2 small dogs. They were both Chihuahuas, one long haired and one short haired. She had one hoisted over each shoulder. like you would hold a baby or small child. The short haired dog stared at folks evilly. If you moved a bit, say to push your glasses up a bit, or to scratch your nose, short hair began serious growling. The woman then would admonish short hair with , "Indoor voice, I said indoor voice!" Short hair ignored her, likely only hearing, "blah blah blah". After witnessing this bit of assininery repeatedly and on the verge of a serious fit of giggles, I began to make little movements on purpose just to get the little ankle bitter to growl. (Yes I know, again putting my level of maturity in question, so sue me.) Each time she said, with increasing loudness, "Indoor voice, I told YOU, INDOOR VOICE!" It was so silly. Now my dog is pretty smart, I would say way above canine average. I only recently discovered she will learn any trick I want for a spearmint TicTac. I wish I had discovered that several years ago. She has a decent vocabulary for understanding what we want. Her ability to read body language never ceases to amaze me. She understands when I wear scrubs to leave the house there is no point in petitioning to go for a ride because it won't happen. She sniffs my knees and if she sees I am wearing jeans her joy is overwhelming. Jeans are adventure clothes and she well knows the odds are very much in her favor that she will have the company of a human on an adventure if I am wearing them. If I am wearing Jeans and pick up the car keys she begins leaping at me with a series of flying drop kicks then plants her butt firmly in front of the front door, clearly telling me I am not getting out the door without her. She is smart. Still I am fairly sure that "indoor voice" is too subtle for her.
I take care of all of her needs, kick her of course, kiss her nose, let her lie around the house whereever and on whatever she wants. But, I respect her dogness. I Don't make her wear clothes, and all the other crazy crap that is available to do for her. I discovered a massage parlor down the road. It's for dogs. I really think my dog prefers a snuggle on the bed with lots of petting.
We really have gone quite mad over dogs haven't we?
Gone mad
Re: Gone mad
@w, you might want to see if you can find another motivator for your dog besides Tic Tacs - or at least take care to give her very limited amounts. Tic Tacs contain xylitol, which can be lethal when ingested by dogs in any significant amount.
Visiting Veterinarian : Xylitol: Not for dogs
By Michelle Gerhard Jasny V.M.D.
Published: September 24, 2009
Nowadays most pet owners know chocolate isn't good for dogs. In fact, people often panic unnecessarily over the slightest exposure. It's not cyanide, folks. If your 100-pound mastiff eats an M&M, there's no cause for alarm.
At least half the frantic calls I get about chocolate ingestion involve doses well below the levels to cause any concern. The risk does increase, however, if the chocolate is semisweet or bittersweet, if the amount consumed is large, and if the dog small. It always makes sense to check with your vet. We can do the math, and if necessary, the medicine should your chocoholic pooch overindulge.
But there is another danger lurking in your pantry. A substance far more toxic to dogs than chocolate: gum. That's right, gum. Not all gum, but many brands of sugar-free gum, as well as any other products that contain the sweetener xylitol.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance found in plants such as berries, lettuce, and mushrooms. During World War II, a shortage of regular sugar led to the commercial production of xylitol, which could be manufactured from xylan extracted from wood. A white crystalline substance, xylitol looks and tastes like sugar. Its use as a sweetener has become increasingly popular in recent years, not just because it has fewer calories than regular sugar, but because of its reputed beneficial properties.
Chewing xylitol gum avoids sugar-related tooth decay but also has antibacterial action that actually reduces periodontal disease and may prevent ear and throat infections in children. There are even claims xylitol may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and breast cancer. An occasional sensitive individual may get mild diarrhea from xylitol but in general it appears to be safe. It can be found in toothpaste, mouthwash, gum, mints, cakes, candy, and many other foods.
So why can you feed it to your children but not your Chihuahua? When human beings consume xylitol, the sweetener is absorbed very slowly into the body without provoking any significant release of insulin. When Tic-Tac, the terrier, tears into the Trident, it's a different story. Tic-Tac absorbs xylitol extremely quickly, and then his little canine pancreas gets confused. "Whoa, here comes a huge sugar rush," his pancreas thinks. "I better pump out a big blast of insulin fast!"
But there's a problem. That big insulin surge isn't really needed. Xylitol is not the same as sugar (i.e., glucose). The insulin grabs up all the glucose and his blood sugar plummets. The result is a profound, life-threatening hypoglycemia a la Sonny Von Bulow. The first sign is usually vomiting, followed by lethargy, weakness, collapse, seizures, and, sometimes, death.
Onset of symptoms is usually rapid - as little as half an hour after ingestion - but may be delayed as long as 12 hours. Effects may persist for a day or more. The scariest part is how little xylitol it takes to cause a big problem. In a small dog, ingestion of two pieces of gum can cause a potentially fatal drop in blood sugar.
Before you overreact and throw away every sugar-free product in your cupboard, let's clarify. We're not talking about aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, or stevia. We're not talking about Splenda or Equal.
Read labels. Some products, like Trident gum, clearly mark that the product contains xylitol. Other products make it harder to find the information. Read the fine print. Some labels lump xylitol along with sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, and mannitol under the heading "sugar alcohols." Only xylitol is toxic to dogs.
So what should you do if Tic-Tac eats the Tic-Tacs? As with any poisoning, first grab the package, if you can readily lay your hands on it. This will help us determine the degree of exposure. (Tic-Tac breath mints are one of the most frequent culprits, due to the high concentration of xylitol in each mint, and the popularity of the item.)
Then call your veterinarian, pronto. If Tic-Tac is already showing signs of hypoglycemia, it is too late to make him throw up. The xylitol has already reached his blood stream. The insulin surge has occurred. Inducing vomiting may only make things worse. If, however, you catch him in the act, there may still be time to get the stuff out of his system.
Your veterinarian can induce vomiting at the office or instruct you on methods to do this at home before you head for the clinic. Feeding a few slices of whole grain bread first may slow the absorption of the xylitol and make it easier for Tic-Tac to barf up the offending item.
Next, we begin monitoring his sugar and, if necessary, start an intravenous drip containing dextrose for 12 to 24 hours, occasionally even longer. (On the Vineyard, that may mean a trip off-Island to an emergency clinic with a 24-hour ICU after your local vet here has done the initial stabilization.)
Once treatment is instituted, the prognosis is excellent. A second type of xylitol toxicity has been identified in the last few years in which certain dogs develop acute liver failure and clotting disorders up to 72 hours after ingestion. Sadly, when xylitol-related liver failure occurs, the mortality rate is high. Many of these cases have no preceding signs of hypoglycemia. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, bruising, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The reason some dogs have this reaction and others do not may be dose-related but no one knows for sure.
Over the last few years, veterinarians have been trying to spread the word about this little-known problem. We want dog owners to be as informed and concerned about xylitol as they are about chocolate. So read those labels. Give Tic-Tac a nice rawhide bone to chew, but eschew the sugarless gum.
Visiting Veterinarian : Xylitol: Not for dogs
By Michelle Gerhard Jasny V.M.D.
Published: September 24, 2009
Nowadays most pet owners know chocolate isn't good for dogs. In fact, people often panic unnecessarily over the slightest exposure. It's not cyanide, folks. If your 100-pound mastiff eats an M&M, there's no cause for alarm.
At least half the frantic calls I get about chocolate ingestion involve doses well below the levels to cause any concern. The risk does increase, however, if the chocolate is semisweet or bittersweet, if the amount consumed is large, and if the dog small. It always makes sense to check with your vet. We can do the math, and if necessary, the medicine should your chocoholic pooch overindulge.
But there is another danger lurking in your pantry. A substance far more toxic to dogs than chocolate: gum. That's right, gum. Not all gum, but many brands of sugar-free gum, as well as any other products that contain the sweetener xylitol.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance found in plants such as berries, lettuce, and mushrooms. During World War II, a shortage of regular sugar led to the commercial production of xylitol, which could be manufactured from xylan extracted from wood. A white crystalline substance, xylitol looks and tastes like sugar. Its use as a sweetener has become increasingly popular in recent years, not just because it has fewer calories than regular sugar, but because of its reputed beneficial properties.
Chewing xylitol gum avoids sugar-related tooth decay but also has antibacterial action that actually reduces periodontal disease and may prevent ear and throat infections in children. There are even claims xylitol may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and breast cancer. An occasional sensitive individual may get mild diarrhea from xylitol but in general it appears to be safe. It can be found in toothpaste, mouthwash, gum, mints, cakes, candy, and many other foods.
So why can you feed it to your children but not your Chihuahua? When human beings consume xylitol, the sweetener is absorbed very slowly into the body without provoking any significant release of insulin. When Tic-Tac, the terrier, tears into the Trident, it's a different story. Tic-Tac absorbs xylitol extremely quickly, and then his little canine pancreas gets confused. "Whoa, here comes a huge sugar rush," his pancreas thinks. "I better pump out a big blast of insulin fast!"
But there's a problem. That big insulin surge isn't really needed. Xylitol is not the same as sugar (i.e., glucose). The insulin grabs up all the glucose and his blood sugar plummets. The result is a profound, life-threatening hypoglycemia a la Sonny Von Bulow. The first sign is usually vomiting, followed by lethargy, weakness, collapse, seizures, and, sometimes, death.
Onset of symptoms is usually rapid - as little as half an hour after ingestion - but may be delayed as long as 12 hours. Effects may persist for a day or more. The scariest part is how little xylitol it takes to cause a big problem. In a small dog, ingestion of two pieces of gum can cause a potentially fatal drop in blood sugar.
Before you overreact and throw away every sugar-free product in your cupboard, let's clarify. We're not talking about aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, or stevia. We're not talking about Splenda or Equal.
Read labels. Some products, like Trident gum, clearly mark that the product contains xylitol. Other products make it harder to find the information. Read the fine print. Some labels lump xylitol along with sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, and mannitol under the heading "sugar alcohols." Only xylitol is toxic to dogs.
So what should you do if Tic-Tac eats the Tic-Tacs? As with any poisoning, first grab the package, if you can readily lay your hands on it. This will help us determine the degree of exposure. (Tic-Tac breath mints are one of the most frequent culprits, due to the high concentration of xylitol in each mint, and the popularity of the item.)
Then call your veterinarian, pronto. If Tic-Tac is already showing signs of hypoglycemia, it is too late to make him throw up. The xylitol has already reached his blood stream. The insulin surge has occurred. Inducing vomiting may only make things worse. If, however, you catch him in the act, there may still be time to get the stuff out of his system.
Your veterinarian can induce vomiting at the office or instruct you on methods to do this at home before you head for the clinic. Feeding a few slices of whole grain bread first may slow the absorption of the xylitol and make it easier for Tic-Tac to barf up the offending item.
Next, we begin monitoring his sugar and, if necessary, start an intravenous drip containing dextrose for 12 to 24 hours, occasionally even longer. (On the Vineyard, that may mean a trip off-Island to an emergency clinic with a 24-hour ICU after your local vet here has done the initial stabilization.)
Once treatment is instituted, the prognosis is excellent. A second type of xylitol toxicity has been identified in the last few years in which certain dogs develop acute liver failure and clotting disorders up to 72 hours after ingestion. Sadly, when xylitol-related liver failure occurs, the mortality rate is high. Many of these cases have no preceding signs of hypoglycemia. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, bruising, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The reason some dogs have this reaction and others do not may be dose-related but no one knows for sure.
Over the last few years, veterinarians have been trying to spread the word about this little-known problem. We want dog owners to be as informed and concerned about xylitol as they are about chocolate. So read those labels. Give Tic-Tac a nice rawhide bone to chew, but eschew the sugarless gum.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
She gets a few each evening and has never show the slightest inclination of being ill.
Now she is coming over to bite your ass for pointing this out to me.
Now she is coming over to bite your ass for pointing this out to me.
Re: Gone mad
Just wanted you to know; I only just learned it recently myself and have taken precautions with my girl, who likes to break open boxes of things and eat the entire contents in one sitting. Generally I keep the Tic Tacs in my work briefcase to which she has no access, but I'm always glad to be aware of possible dangers.
My dog eats chocolate all the time (she will do ANYTHING for a peanut M&M), so I 'get' that these dangers do not always apply in every case. I'm betting a few a day in a larger dog would not pose a problem.
eta: Loved the rest of your post - people who overindulge those itty bitty yappers make me laugh.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
-
@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
I could likely get the same results for a peanut M&M but they are more fattening. I will limit TicTacs but I think we are OK.
Re: Gone mad
I thought that chocalate would harm a dog until my shepherd ate an entire box of Endre' Mints sitting on my coffee table.
The little bitch ate the whole thing; foil wrappers and all except for 1. Yes ONE. I found one wrapper, sans chocolate.
I watched and waited expecting her to die, puke or shit foil. She was just fine. WTF?
Except for the arse kicking...
Good Dog.
The little bitch ate the whole thing; foil wrappers and all except for 1. Yes ONE. I found one wrapper, sans chocolate.
I watched and waited expecting her to die, puke or shit foil. She was just fine. WTF?
Except for the arse kicking...
Good Dog.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer-
Arthur Schopenhauer-
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
Milk chocolate can be safely consumed in fairly large quantity. Baker's chocolate, the dark bitter stuff is deadly in small quantities. I keep a 60cc syringe and some peroxide around to make the dog puke if necessary.
Re: Gone mad
A friend of mine had a German Wirehair that ate a pound and a half of Bologna.
She ran around with red rings hanging out her backside for a couple days...
She ran around with red rings hanging out her backside for a couple days...
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
My dog often has long blades of grass hanging out her butt. I keep gloves handy for quick extraction of such.
Re: Gone mad
I've had to deal with hanging grass many times myself. Ah, the joys of doggy companions!@meric@nwom@n wrote:My dog often has long blades of grass hanging out her butt. I keep gloves handy for quick extraction of such.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Gone mad
I'm glad I have a cat.
She has a clean ass.
She has a clean ass.
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
dales wrote:I'm glad I have a cat.
She has a clean ass.
You clean it yourself?
Re: Gone mad
I've had cats.
They'd puke up nasty hairballs, leave dead things as 'gifts' for me, track litter all over my house, jump onto surfaces intended for human use only (like kitchen counters - blech!), and climb up my clothes/curtains/furniture - thus ruining much personal property.
They were pretty and I loved when they purred. I'll never have another one, though. After this dog goes, it's a box turtle for me!
They'd puke up nasty hairballs, leave dead things as 'gifts' for me, track litter all over my house, jump onto surfaces intended for human use only (like kitchen counters - blech!), and climb up my clothes/curtains/furniture - thus ruining much personal property.
They were pretty and I loved when they purred. I'll never have another one, though. After this dog goes, it's a box turtle for me!
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Gone mad
OMG Timster. My old Heeler did almost exactly the same thing except with 8 x 50 gram Mint Patties and a packet of cigarettes.Timster wrote:I thought that chocalate would harm a dog until my shepherd ate an entire box of Endre' Mints sitting on my coffee table.
The little bitch ate the whole thing; foil wrappers and all except for 1. Yes ONE. I found one wrapper, sans chocolate.
I watched and waited expecting her to die, puke or shit foil. She was just fine. WTF?
Except for the arse kicking...
Good Dog.
I really thought she was going to die. She lay around all day, looking dazed, ill and sorry for herself.
I had an unfortunately incident with my old (now deceased) diabetic cat, Tiger.
He had disappeared for a few days and had come back very dehydrated. I took him to the vet and her got a saline injection and other various medications to set him straight again. Well, the saline injection left Tiger with a large camel hump on his back where all the fluid was waiting for absorbtion. I put him in his carry case, faced the opening to me and started to drive home on that dark winters evening.
As I was driving along, I started to notice that I was getting wet. It felt like I was being sprayed. I thought about Tiger's camel hump and dismissed anything from my thought as it was obvious that he had far too much fluid in one spot for his body to contain it.
As I was driving along, I continued to get sprayed. It was almost like having a private shower in the car. I licked the saline solution from my lips. I passed under a street light and glanced down at my, now extremely wet, arm. I seem to have developed a dark tan since leaving the vet's surgery.
"OMG THAT'S NOT SALINE!'"
I screamed to my cat who was still shitting through the eye of a needle all over me.
I got home. I reached over and picked up the carry case. I went inside to be met by Gob and Hatch. Mush merriment was had by all to see the half brown half white woman before them. The cat naturally was totally soaked in his faeces.
I was very, very happy to clean the cat, but most importantly, myself. Licking cat shit off my lips and swallowing it does not rate highly on my culinary advisories to you all.
Bah!
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Beer Sponge
- Posts: 715
- Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 5:31 pm
Re: Gone mad
I have to go brush my teeth now. With bleach. And I may eat a Pine scented air freshner.
Thanks Hen.
Personally, I don’t believe in bros before hoes, or hoes before bros. There needs to be a balance. A homie-hoe-stasis, if you will.
Re: Gone mad
Chocolate is bad for a dog. Over time it will seriously damage its liver.
In regards to tic tacs, check this out.
In regards to tic tacs, check this out.
Re: Gone mad
Beer, I spent about half an hour scrubbing my mouth out and rinsing it.
I kept dry retching as well, but I hadn't eaten anything other than the shit for over 8 hours, so there was nothing to remove.
It was not my finest Hen hour.
Though I could well understand why Gob and Hatch laughed so much. I did as well after I emerged from the bathroom an hour later.
I kept dry retching as well, but I hadn't eaten anything other than the shit for over 8 hours, so there was nothing to remove.
It was not my finest Hen hour.
Though I could well understand why Gob and Hatch laughed so much. I did as well after I emerged from the bathroom an hour later.
Bah!
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Gone mad
I am a seasoned nurse and it is actually hard to completely gross me out. In fact, my cast iron stomach in these matters is lgendary in the family.
Congratulations Hen!
Congratulations Hen!
Re: Gone mad
Hen, I have not laughed till I cried in a long LONG time, until now............
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.