Dogs, especially puppies, are naturally curious creatures. It is very easy for them to get hurt or injured just by being themselves and going about their normal business. You may catch them trying to swallow a big object, jump on and off high places, getting exposed to toxic household chemicals, or just bump into things that causes bodily injury.

All You Need To Know To Keep Your Dog Safe – Are Grapes Safe For Dogs & Other Poisonous Pet Food

Some of the most common pet injuries and accidents that can occur in your home are choking, electrical shock, household chemical poisoning, puncture wounds,and fractures – all of which can be prevented by applying simple, common-sense actions. Below is a list of ways to prevent injuries to your pets.

First and foremost, it is important to keep in mind that in an event of an emergency, even minor situations, you should always call your veterinarian and have your dog examined to ensure that you didn’t miss a serious problem.

In addition, make sure that he is getting his yearly check-up so the vet can check for any problems to take care of it before it gets worse.

Electrical Hazards – Puppies and dogs are attracted to electrical wires and may chew on them, causing a severe burn in their mouths. Make sure that all wires are safely put away, secured with a duct tape, or out of your dog’s sight. Food

And Exercise – Table scraps are usually loaded with fat and should not be given to any dog. The best diet for your dog is homemade foods that are recommended by your veterinarian or a high-quality commercial dog food. In addition, make sure that his bowl is always filled with fresh water. Wait at least one hour after this meal before taking him out for exercise.

Also, do not exercise him for too long or too hard. Depending on his breed, a 15 minute walk each day may be all that his body needs. Consult your vet if you are unsure about the amount of exercise your dog requires. Toxic Chemicals

And Poisons – Keep your dog away bleaches, detergents, cleaners, polishers, and all household chemicals. Houseplants should also be out of your dog’s reach. Several plants can make your pet sick, severely ill, or even lead to death. In addition, keep all medicines out of reach. Below is a list of some of the foods that should not be given to your dog:

1. Alcoholic beverages and caffeinated foods and drinks such as coffee, tea, and chocolate. 2. Dairy products such as milk and cheese. 3. Raw fish and raw eggs. 4. Tobacco. 5. Raisins and grapes. 6. Vitamin supplements for human that contains iron or too much liver. 7. Vegetables such as mushroom, onion, garlic, and potato. Rubbish – Keep waste containers tightly closed both inside and outside your house. Restraint – Keep your dog on lead when you take him out in public. Traveling In The Car – Have a carrier or a kennel that is securely placed in the car. Do not put him in the back of a pickup truck and do not let him stick his head outside the windows.

Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs: A Warning
Saturday 7th July will be a day I will never forget. I woke to sunshine and what I deemed to be a perfect family day – visit the park with my fiancé, our little boy and our dog – Oojie.

Little did I know what Oojie had been through in the night until I came downstairs to what looked like a murder scene. There were faeces, urine, vomit and blood throughout the lounge and our dog was cowering looking very timid. We assumed a case of vomiting and diarrhoea and began to clean up the mess, but within the hour Oojie appeared to have worsened and his condition deteriorated dramatically. Still vomiting he was now shaking and dribbling considerably as well. It was at the point I rushed him to the vets.

Saturday 7th July will be a day I will never forget. I woke to sunshine and what I deemed to be a perfect family day – visit the park with my fiancé, our little boy and our dog – Oojie.

Little did I know what Oojie had been through in the night until I came downstairs to what looked like a murder scene. There were faeces, urine, vomit and blood throughout the lounge and our dog was cowering looking very timid. We assumed a case of vomiting and diarrhoea and began to clean up the mess, but within the hour Oojie appeared to have worsened and his condition deteriorated dramatically. Still vomiting he was now shaking and dribbling considerably as well. It was at the point I rushed him to the vets.

Upon initial examination he clearly had a slowed heart rate (just 56bpm) and some abdominal pain and the Vet made the decision to keep him in for monitoring and to rehydrate him on a drip – just as a precaution.

No more than two hours after I left the Vets I received a phone call – Oojie had a massive internal bleed and had a suspected case of rat poisoning or something similar. He was not responding well and was not given a very good chance of survival with a potential case of DIC which would mean his body shutting down very quickly overnight.

I spend the next few hours racking my brains as to what he could have eaten that could have poisoned him. All medications were kept well out of reach, cleaning products locked away, no chocolate in the house and all anti-freeze and such chemicals kept in the garage. I checked with our neighbours to find out if anyone had used rat or mouse poison and since no one had the source of the poison remained a mystery.

As it happened, despite renal failure, significant blood loss and a dramatically slowed heart rate Oojie made it through the night, still vomiting however and seriously ill numerous blood tests were run that Sunday and a suspected case of Addison’s crisis was suggested. Oojies blood cells were breaking down and the haematology of his bloods meant that the Vet was unable to run the tests he needed on the equipment at the surgery – they needed to send them to a specialist laboratory but since it was the weekend we had to wait another crucial 24 hours for this to be done. The vet continued him on the drip and was closely monitored – although stable, he was still proving a mystery case and his chances still looked bleak.

A long and emotional few days drifted past with Oojie showing no signs of improvement. Now bear in mind that he is a 2 year old Cairn/Westie cross who has always been very healthy and full of beans, loved playtime, adored a cuddle and enjoyed his home cooked treats of roast beef, liver and a drop of milk. Now I was faced with a dog that couldn’t eat, had barely enough energy to lift his head to greet me and was showing all the signs of a chronic illness. But I couldn’t give up on him – not yet.

Oojie continued on the drip and was given medication for Addison’s disease incase that was to be the diagnosis. He was having blood taken each day and all we could be told was that he had a form of renal failure. The drip was effectively dialysis flushing the kidneys through and until he was well enough to come off the drip there would be no way of knowing if it as acute of chronic failure.

May I just mention that stupidly we didn’t have Oojie insured and so then came the predicament with the uncertainty of his condition, how much we could afford or indeed should spend before making the decision to remove the drip and see how he coped and indeed if he would survive? It was the Vet who suggested that two weeks was a realistic treatment time and therefore an estimate of £2000 to cover medication, hospitalisation and investigation.

The following weekend and exactly one week after he first collapsed and Oojie seemed to be deteriorating and now refusing to eat despite the vomiting having stopped; he was now depressed and anaemic as well. But we had agreed two weeks and I was not about to give up on him. I was visiting twice a day taking him out into the yard to soak up some sun and trying to encourage him to eat by hand feeding him. He loved his cuddles but unlike the dog we know so well was still happy to go back to his kennel and lie down at the end of my visit.

I will never forget the relief though on Thursdays visit (12 days after hospitalisation) when I say Oojie prick his ears up as I said hello and he jumped into my arms – he was pleased to see me but not only that was interested in playing and even managed to eat some of his food.

Come Saturday he had continued to improve and as agreed with the Vet we removed the drip and bought Oojie home. It is only now that we will find out the extent of the damage to his kidneys. He has to continue to be closely monitored indefinitely with regular blood test to check the haematology within his blood. We may never what caused his kidneys to fail, whether it was a deliberate poison, or whether he ate something toxic or even the possibility that he has a kidney disease all his life. The vet has suggested that he could have eaten grapes or raisins (something our son eats regularly). As few as 7 raisins can be enough to cause this near fatal crisis to his body. Many people give their pets raisins as a treat and could infact be unknowingly killing them.

I want to raise awareness of these foods which can be toxic to dogs and can cause effects as mild as a single vomit, as severe as Oojie has suffered or in the worst case scenario can be fatal.

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