More detailed information and a more extensive list can be found on the ASPCA website here: Ask the Experts: People Foods

Grapes as Food = NOT OKAY

Grapes as Costume = OKAY

The list below has some of the more prominent foods, combined from several resources:

1. Alcohol – Beer, liquor, wine, foods containing alcohol — none of it’s good for your dog. That’s because alcohol has the same effect on a dog’s liver and brain that it has on humans. But it takes far less to do its damage. Just a little can cause vomiting, diarrhea, central nervous system depression, problems with coordination, difficulty breathing, coma, even death. And the smaller the dog, the greater the effect.
2. Avocado – (all parts of the avocado and avocado tree) No matter how good you think the guacamole is, you shouldn’t give it to your dog. Avocados contain a substance called persin. It’s harmless for humans who aren’t allergic. But large amounts might be toxic to dogs. If you happen to be growing avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as in the fruit.
3. Bones and Fat Trimmings – Table scraps often contain meat fat that a human didn’t eat and bones. Both are dangerous for dogs. Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. Although it seems natural, most bones should not be given (especially chicken bones) because they can splinter and cause an obstruction or laceration of the digestive system. It also poses a choking hazard. It’s best to just forget about the doggie bag.
4. Chocolate – Most people know that chocolate is bad for dogs. The toxic agent in chocolate is Theobromine, a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic that can be fatal in dogs. It’s in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous kinds, though, are dark chocolate, chocolate mulch, and unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate, even just licking the icing bowl, can cause a dog to vomit, have diarrhea, and be excessively thirsty. It can also cause abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death.
5. Coffee, Coffee Grounds, Tea, Soft Drinks, and Other Caffeine – Caffeine in large enough quantities can be fatal for a dog. And, there is no antidote. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning include restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors, fits, and bleeding. In addition to tea and coffee – including beans and grounds — caffeine can be found in cocoa, chocolate, colas, and stimulant drinks such as Red Bull. It’s also in some cold medicines and pain killers.
6. Fruit Pits & Seeds (most) – Pits and seeds contain Cyanogenic Glycosides which can result in cyanide poisoning – though the fruit itself is okay.
7. Grapes and Raisins – Grapes and raisins have often been used as treats for dogs. But it’s not a good idea. Although it isn’t clear why, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And just a small amount can make a dog ill. Repeated vomiting is an early sign. Within a day, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. The best prevention is to keep grapes and raisins off counters and other places your dog can reach.
8. Human Medicines & Vitamins – Reaction to a drug commonly prescribed for humans is the most common cause of poisoning in dogs. Just as you would do for your children, keep all medicines out of your dog’s reach. And, never give your dog any over-the-counter medicine unless told to do so by your vet. Ingredients such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are common in pain relievers and cold medicine. And, they can be deadly for your dog. Vitamins, especially those containing iron, can cause damage to the lining of the digestive system as well as cause kidney and liver damage)
9. Macadamia Nuts – Dogs should not eat macadamia nuts or foods containing macadamia nuts because they can be fatal. There is an unknown substance that is toxic to dogs. As few as 6 raw or roasted macadamia nuts can make a dog ill. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle tremors, weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters, vomiting, elevated body temperature, and rapid heart rate. Eating chocolate with the nuts will make symptoms worse, possibly leading to death.
10. Milk & Other Dairy Products – On a hot day, it may be tempting to share your ice cream cone with your dog. But if your dog could, it would thank you for not doing so. Milk and milk-based products can cause diarrhea and other digestive upset as well as set up food allergies (which often manifest as itchiness). Fortunately, many local doggy bakeries and stores make or sell ice cream specially for pooches! They don’t usually pose a great danger but many have high fat content — and many pets are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance leads to gas and diarrhea; though small amounts of yogurt and cheese are usually fairly well tolerated. It’s even often recommended to put a teaspoon of plain yogurt with a dog’s meal to help digestion and gas.
11. Nutmeg & Other Pantry Items – Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures, and central nervous system damage. Many other items commonly found on kitchen shelves can harm your dog. Keeping food items high enough to be out of your dog’s reach and keeping pantry doors closed will help protect your dog from serious food-related illness.
12. Onions & Garlic – Onions and garlic in all forms — powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated — can destroy a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Both contain the toxic ingredient Thiosulfate/Thiosulphate. That can happen even with the onion powder found in some baby food. An occasional *small* dose (sometimes found in dog biscuits) is probably okay. But just eating a large quantity once or eating smaller amounts regularly can cause poisoning because it builds up in the system. Symptoms of anemia include weakness, vomiting, little interest in food, dullness, and breathlessness.
13. Persimmons, Peaches, and Plums – The problem with these fruits is the seeds or pits. The seeds from persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine in dogs. They can also cause intestinal obstruction. Obstruction is also a possibility if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. Plus, peach and plum pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. The difference is humans know not to eat them. Dogs don’t.
14. Raw Eggs – There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog’s coat if raw eggs are fed for a long time.
15. Raw Meat and Fish – Raw meat and raw fish, like raw eggs, can contain bacteria that causes food poisoning. In addition, certain kinds of fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can contain a parasite that causes “fish disease” or “salmon poisoning disease.” If not treated, the disease can be fatal within two weeks. The first signs of illness are vomiting, fever, and big lymph nodes. Thoroughly cooking the fish will kill the parasite and protect your dog.
16. Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder – It’s not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. In large amounts these can cause an electrolyte imbalance and in severe cases lead to muscle spasms or even congestive heart failure. It may even cause death.
17. Some Vegetables – Potato peelings, green potatoes, rhubarb leaves, and green parts of tomatoes contain oxalates which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. Mushrooms may contain toxins that can cause liver and kidney damage. Broccoli isonly toxic in large quantities.
18. Sugar-Free Foods – Candy, gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are sweetened with xylitol. Xylitol can cause an increase in the insulin circulating through your dog’s body. That can cause your dog’s blood sugar to drop and can also cause liver failure. Initial symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Eventually, the dog may have seizures. Liver failure can occur within just a few days.
19. Sugary or Excessively Fatty Foods & Drinks – Too much sugar can do the same thing to dogs that it does to humans. It can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly the onset of diabetes. Excess fatty foods can cause Pancreatitis.
20. Yeast Dough – Before it’s baked, bread dough needs to rise. And, that’s exactly what it would do in your dog’s stomach if your dog ate it. As it swells inside, the dough can stretch the dog’s abdomen and cause severe pain, and even lead to rupture of the digestive system. In addition, when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it produces alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning.

When in doubt, check with your vet!

Here are some of the resources that you might find helpful:
• 25 Human Foods Toxic to Dogs
• WebMD Slideshow: Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat
• Dogster – Poisonous Plants & Immediate Treatment for a Poisoned Pet
• Doctors Foster and Smith pet education.com

Tarak reading with Huxley

About a week ago, we received an email about a recent donation that had been made. This note was from a mother about her son’s gift to us. She explained that her son, Tarak, chose to raise money for Love-A-Bull instead of receiving presents at his 10th birthday party that past weekend. And he made a donation of over $100!

It seems we all might have something to learn from this act of kindness and passion for a good cause. So of course we asked if we could share this story. We received a letter AND pictures! Aren’t Tarak and Huxley just adorable?

Dear Love-A-Bull,

For my 10th birthday, I raised money for Love-A-Bull instead of getting presents, because I have a pit bull terrier named Huxley, and he is the sweetest dog in the world. My family trained him at Love-A-Bull.

People shouldn’t be so scared of pit bulls. They should be scared of the people who train pits to be aggressive. Really, pit bulls are naturally friendly and gentle. When I had my birthday party two weeks ago, over 20 friends came over, and Huxley was kind to everyone. In fact, every night before I go to sleep, my 60 pound pit bull climbs into my bed and sleeps beside me.

I think everyone who cares about pit bulls should try and raise money for Love-A-Bull, so that people who are afraid of pit bulls understand why they should love and take care of them instead!

Sincerely,
Tarak

Tarak and Huxley giving hugs

More hugs

Coco was found as a stray in East Austin at the beginning of 2010, limping in the cold spell during Austin’s winter. She was found emaciated, flea-covered and extremely weak due to injuries that we guess might have come from being hit by a car. She had also recently delivered a litter. She sustained some semi-permanent nerve damage, which causes her to drag her foot when she walks.

Coco was adopted out about six months ago but due to some changes with her new family she has returned to the Love-A-Bull program. We are so happy to have this sweet girl back safe but upon her return, we noticed her brace no longer fits her foot and she could really use a new fitted brace to help her on walks.

This sweet girl and been through a lot and we want to help her continue to do the one thing in life that she loves so much — take walks! No matter where Coco is she will always have her walks. Can you help this sweet girl this holiday season?

Here’s a link to some of the original footage from when Coco was rescued. Don’t worry, she looks TONS better since this!

Please pass along and share the link to Coco’s ChipIn with your friends and other supports: http://loveabullsadoptabulls.chipin.com/cocos-christmas-wish.

Coco (Puffin)

Smiles from Coco!

“Before her rescue, Dora lived outside in a yard with several other dogs. She wasn’t pampered or spoiled, and she most certainly was not responsible for any house chores…”

“Being two years old and all, she must have figured that she has been slacking and she’d better make up for lost time. So on day two of her grand adventure in our foster home, she got right to work doing the laundry…”

“…she bravely played patty cakes with the washing machine during the spin cycle, play-bowed to the dryer as it fluffed, and did her very best to hold still while I did my very best to use her back as a folding table…”

Read the entire laundry saga and more here: http://loveandaleash.com/2011/11/30/dora-does-the-laundry/

As a reminder, your dues sustain the full range of programs, activities, events and initiatives that Love-A-Bull presents to its members and the public on an ongoing basis, including our training programs, education and outreach efforts, flyers/brochures, legislative tracking, community events (including National Pit Bull Awareness Day), and more.

We appreciate all of our dues-paying members, and this is a great way for you to feel that while you’re helping Love-A-Bull achieve its goals, you’re also getting more “bang for your buck”!

Here are the discounts in the package for 2012 (with more being added throughout the year!):

• Love-A-Bull (http://love-a-bull.org/programs/training/) FREE training program – Basic and Advanced classes (http://love-a-bull.org/store/) plus discounts off merchandise and events
• Dr. Mockler/Oak Hill Vet Clinic (http://www.oakhillvet.com) 10% off all vet services
• Austin Eco Cleaning (http://www.austinecocleaning.com) 10% off cleaning for life
• Buddy’s Chance (http://www.buddyschance.com/) 20% off training services for new clients
• Dress-A-Bull (http://www.dressabull.com) 10% discount PLUS 20% donation to Love-A-Bull
• Fancy Pants Pet (http://www.fancypantspets.com) 10% off all non-shipped items
• Fetch! Pet Care (http://www.fetchpetcare.com) 10% off all services
• Groovy Dog (http://www.groovydog.com) 10% off boutique items (excludes treats and food)
• Jakey the Clown (http://jakeytheclown.com) 10% discount for a scheduled birthday party (must mention membership when booking)
• K9 Savvy Training (Jess Wilson) (http://www.k9savvy.com) $10 off a private session with a free or low-cost consultation
• Leaps N’ Hounds (http://www.leapsnhounds.com) 10% off training sessions/packages AND 40% off single private in-home training session (new adopters only)
• Paw Print Photography (http://www.paw-print-photography.com) 20% off photography packages AND 10% off pet sitting in Leander, Cedar Park, and Georgetown areas
• Woof Gang Bakery (http://www.woofgangbakery.com) 15% off everything in the store

Dues can be purchased through our online store here or by sending a check made out to Love-A-Bull to: Love-A-Bull; P.O. Box 18792; Austin, Texas 78760.

You’ll receive your membership card via e-mail upon receipt of payment (please include e-mail address with your check, if sending by mail). Print out and present your membership card when redeeming discounts.

Join us as a dues-paying member for 2012 — the pitties (and Love-A-Bull) thank you!

Pit Bull Confidential is a short film produced by Linda Gunter. The film explores the side of adopting America’s dog through interviews with Washington Animal Rescue League CEO Dr. Gary Weitzman, Julie Paez of The Big Bad Woof, and pit bull adopters.

Click on the photo below to watch this short film…

Linda is self-described as a parent, partner, environmentalist, animal lover, and burgeoning short filmmaker. The video was intriguing, so I asked her for a brief Q&A.

Q&A with Linda Gunter

Naturally the first question, why did you decide to create this video? And why about pit bulls?
I noticed that the city/county shelters especially were full of pit bull mixes and pit bulls – I periodically drop in on shelters if I am in the area; I guess this is some form of masochism since then I want to take half of them home! But it’s also to inform myself more about shelter challenges. I also learned, in volunteering at my local shelter, that pits are generally really sweet-natured people dogs. So I looked on YouTube to see if there was a short video dispelling some of the many myths about pit bulls. While I found lots of mainly raw footage about people’s sweet pit bulls, I could not find an informational piece. So I decided to make the video. It’s my first video so it was also exciting to finally master the technology and accomplish a longstanding goal to make a short documentary. The main purpose was to try to encourage more people to consider adopting pit bulls when choosing a rescue dog and to answer some of the concerns they may have because of the adverse publicity.

How did you choose who to work with on the project?
I am a volunteer at the Washington Animal Rescue League – and two of our animals were adopted from there, a dog and a cat. So it was the logical place to start. They were also then able to put me in touch with successful pit bull adopters. I also knew that our local petfood store owners had a pit bull (Yaya). Originally, I was going to diversify more and shoot more “at home” footage and at city shelters, but expediency eventually decided the focus on WARL.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for pit bull type dogs?
The misconception that they are “bad” dogs that can sometimes be trained to be nice, whereas the reverse is obviously true and unfortunately the so-called pit bull problem is actually a bad people problem. So people are afraid to adopt pit bulls because all they hear about the breed is related to fighting rings so the assumption is that they are dangerous as a breed which is not the case. Consequently, pit bulls languish needlessly in shelters and of course many are euthanized.

How did you become involved in animal welfare?
I’ve been interested in this area since childhood (I won a prize at 6 for filling my doll pram with stuffed toy animals and making it a charity fundraiser for the RSPCA in the UK!) At about 9, I dragged my mother off to an animal rescue sanctuary – only to be crushed that the owner, who I idolized, was a rather bossy old battleaxe who clearly didn’t like kids! Undeterred, I’ve been a would-be animal sanctuary owner ever since. This has not turned out to be what I do, but I have volunteered on and off over the years at a couple of shelters. It’s a passion but not a profession for me, although I probably wouldn’t turn down the right offer in the field!

What is your relationship with the Washington Animal Rescue League?
I am a volunteer there. I help with the animals but mainly I have been making short videos on individual animals (mostly cats) that they place on the animals’ web site bios to help get them adopted. This has proven remarkably successful. I think all the cats with videos were adopted by people who “fell in love” watching the video. One person flew in from Puerto Rico to adopt one of the video cats!

How many animals do you have? How did they end up in your life?
Currently we have five animals in our family – two dogs and three cats. They are all rescues. (Our two children are also adopted). We also tried fostering a really sweet older cat, Agnes, but unfortunately my resident female cat decided to make her life miserable, so we had to stop which was sad for all of us. (She’s still on Petfinder in case you want to put a plug in for her!) There was a guppy until recently…)

So what’s your regular occupation? ‘Real job’ as we like to call it, since we know most of us do this in our theoretical ‘free time.’
I am an anti-nuclear activist. I founded a group called Beyond Nuclear and we work to end nuclear power and promote renewable energy. In fact, Pit Bull Confidential, which I had to do in what passes for my “spare time” was interrupted by the March 11, 2011 Fukushima reactor disaster in Japan so I had to delay shooting and editing for months because I had absolutely no free time outside of my real work.

What do you have planned for the future?
I am hoping to do a piece on why you should adopt an older cat. The “older” concept seems to start quite young – at 8 or so! But in shelters, the kitties over 8 linger, especially during kitten season when they are constantly passed over. It’s the reason we fostered Agnes, and while we had her it was depressing how little interest there was in an 8-year old cat who was sweet as can be. It’s a difficult story line to find substance for so I still need to map it out a bit and then clear some “free” time to make it. I shot some footage already of a wonderful “older” cat at WARL who was quite the comedian. So hopefully there won’t be any more nuclear catastrophes for a while (or ever, actually!) and I can get started soon. Another option would be to make Pit Bull Confidential, Part 2. There are a few owners and their dogs it would be fun to put on tape. I think seeing a dog in the home environment might actually be the best advertisement of all. So if you have suggestions for aspects I didn’t cover this time, let me know! I am also pondering whether I can get a celebrity owner to participate in Part 2, which might get both films a higher viewership. I was actually a bit disappointed that this piece did not get circulated as widely as I’d hoped.

Dear Friends:

In May 2010, we decided we were ready to adopt our third dog from TLAC. I knew I wanted to choose a “Pit Bull Type Dog” (AKA Staffordshire Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier/etc.), because our first dog is a Staffie mix and he has been an amazing companion for the last ten years. There was no shortage of Staffies at the shelter, so I spent several weeks visiting and playing with lots of different dogs until I found just the right one. All of the dogs were wonderful, but Juneaux (formerly Rhonda) completely stole my heart. She was smiley and wiggly and spent the whole time snuggling up to me and playing with her ball. I took this picture (check out pic #1) and sent it to my boyfriend, and told him I’d found our new dog. He couldn’t say no to that goofy face.

The next day we brought her home. Since then, she has brought so much happiness into our lives. At first she was shy and scared, but after a few weeks she started to warm up and show her true colors. Over the past year and a half I’ve watched her grow into a loving, carefree dog that she never had the opportunity to be in her past life. She has taught us the true meaning of being happy no matter what bad things you may have experienced in the past. Her clipped ears and “stray” status told us people may not have always been kind to her, but she still puts all of her trust in people.

Nowadays we take her with us everywhere. Her favorite thing to do is go to the bar (I don’t know where she gets it from ). She stands next to our table wagging her tail and smiling at every person who walks by. People can’t help but stop and give her pets and hugs because she is just so friendly. She LOVES it, and I think it’s great for people to see the true nature of a “Pit Bull Type Dog” in a public situation.

She is affectionate, gentle, and very eager to please. Her training was so easy, because her desire to make us happy is so strong. I just want to tell people who may be unsure about “Pit Bulls” that this is the true nature of these kind of dogs. They get a bad reputation because they are willing to do anything their owner asks (including fighting) and will tolerate extreme abuse without turning on their abuser. Unfortunately, these traits often get exploited. I hope people will give these dogs a chance because they make wonderful family dogs and companions, and are great with kids.

When I meet new people with Juneaux the topic of “Pit Bulls” often comes up, and I frequently hear people say, “They can be great dogs — it’s all about how they are raised.” I will be the first to say we had nothing to do with the way Juneaux was raised; as far as I know she was turned loose as a stray. The truth is, you can adopt a great Staffie at the shelter and make them a part of your family, even if they didn’t get the best start in life. I’m not saying that all shelter dogs would fit into any family, but many dogs can overcome difficult pasts and make great family companions. All they need is someone to give them that chance.

Juneaux is proof that this is possible, and I honestly don’t know what our life would be like without her now. Thank you Town Lake Animal Center, for adopting out Staffie mixes and giving them the chance at a life they deserve. To those reading this who wouldn’t consider adopting a Staffie, I encourage you to look beyond the media hype and see what these dogs are really like. If you spend an hour at the shelter, and you might change your mind.

Sincerely,
Amanda Hill

June at TLAC

June & Matt at Shangri La

June with Crab

June, Clementine, and Rory

Beautiful photo at a Summer BBQ captures the true nature of this relationship.

We are proud to partner with PALS (Prevent-A-Litter) of Central Texas, EmanciPET, Town Lake Animal Center, and Oak Hill Veterinary Clinic to make the following items and services available!

• EmanciPET will be on-site to offer and schedule FREE spay/neuter appointments.
• Town Lake Animal Center will be providing FREE microchips, FREE I.D. tags, and FREE leashes/collars.
• And we’ll have a Q&A session with Dr. Mockler from Oak Hill Veterinary Clinic.

Yep, it’s the real deal. You just have to join us on Sunday, November 6 between 1 PM – 5 PM and get hooked up! Check out the schedule to see more information on the event.

Don’t forget to RSVP here on Facebook or Meetup so we can make this even bigger and better than last year. You won’t want to miss out!