Things That Make Dogs Sick

Human Food

• Many of us have fallen victim to giving our dog people food, especially when he does such a good job at begging. However, before giving in to your pup, you should consider what you are giving him. Some human food is toxic to dogs, such as onions, grapes, chocolate and raisins are a few. Dogs are built differently than humans, and thus they digest differently or react differently to different foods. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, onions can rupture red blood cells and chocolate can attack the central nervous system and heart.

Household Toxins

• Dogs are curious creatures who explore with their noses and mouths. For example, if a human leaves a cleaning supply cabinet open and a dog gets into it, if he consumes any of the cleaning supplies, such as bleach, he will get sick. Antifreeze is another household item that is toxic to your dog.

Weather

• Just like humans, dogs can get sick if they are exposed to severe elements. On very hot days, you cannot leave your dog in a car or the yard for too long. In a car, temperatures soar quickly, suffocating the dog. In a yard, a dog can suffer from dehydration or heat stroke. Likewise, if it is extremely cold out, you do not want to expose your dog to the freezing temperatures for a long period of time. Like humans, they can suffer from hypothermia, and at the very least, they can come down with a cold.

Parasites

• Dogs are very prone to parasites, such as worms. There are several parasites that can infect dogs, making them very ill, or worse, killing them. Heartworm, which can be contracted from mosquitoes, live in the heart, breaking its functioning down. Hookworm and Roundworm are contracted from feces, while in utero, or when a dog eats contaminated food. Hookworm lives in the digestive tract and Roundworm affects the lungs. In order to prevent the infection of worms, it is important for owners to administer preventative medicines.