Every Day Foods To Keep From Your Pet By C Swarens At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Believe it or not, some of the foods you have sitting around your home that seem perfectly harmless can create medical problems for your pet. Simple things such as baking soda and baking powder, which you probably wouldn't consider the possibility of your pet ingesting, can be potentially fatal to your pet gets curious and decides to try it out. Here's a look at some common foods in everyone's kitchen and pantry that can cause severe health problems for your pet.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Baking powder and baking soda are common ingredients found in many people's kitchen cabinets. This is because they are both leavening agents that help produce a gas in order to cause dough or batter to rise. While this is a desirable reaction in baked goods, the same is not true when it is within your pet. Baking soda, which is just sodium bicarbonate, can cause some major issues for your pet.. The same is true of baking powder, which is usually made from calcium acid phosphate, tartar, and/or sodium aluminum sulfate. If your pet eats either of these two baking ingredients, it may experience any of the following:

• Abnormal Electrolytes (characterized by low potassium, high sodium, and/or low calcium)
• Muscle Spasms
• Congestive Heart Failure

Onions and Garlic

While onions and garlic may provide some healthy benefits to humans, the same is not true for dogs and cats. This is because they lack the enzyme that is needed to properly digest these foods. As a result, eating onions or garlic may lead to the following negative side effects:

• Flatulence
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Gastrointestinal Distress

If your pet eats large amounts of onions and/or garlic or if these foods are included as a regular part of its diet, it can cause your pet's red blood cells to weaken which can lead to severe anemia and even death if left untreated.

It is important to keep in mind that onions in every form are dangerous to your pet, including those that are cooked, powdered and dehydrated. In addition, it is important to note that onion powder is often added to baby food for taste, so feeding baby food to your pet is potentially harmful.

Yeast Dough

Yeast dough will rise in the stomach if it is eaten, just as it would rise if it were left to sit out before being baked. When it rises in the stomach, it also ferments and produces alcohol. Therefore, there are two potential dangers associated with eating yeast dough. The first is the fact that the dough can rise to be several times larger than it was when it was ingested, which will expand your pet's stomach. The other is the resulting alcohol, which can lead to alcohol toxicity in your pet. Signs of alcohol toxicity include:

• Abdominal Discomfort
• Bloating
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Vomiting

If you notice any of these symptoms in your pet, it is essential to seek treatment from a veterinarian as soon as possible.

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