by Eva Everything

Pickiness can be an annoying cat trait but it could actually be saving feline lives. Only 11%-20% of reported poisonings involve cats. However, if your cat is vomiting, has diarrhea, or is unable to poo after your holiday party, there’s a possibility of accidental poisoning.

If a cat gets under a car that drips radiator antifreeze onto its fur, it will eventually lick it off. Spilled anti-freeze sickens and kills more cats than anything else during the winter in cold climates.

Rotten smelly fish parts are the kind of garbage that appeals to cats. Rotten food is a hotbed to bacteria that can make kitty very sick.

Mouse and rat poison kills rodents but also kills cats and dogs if they eat enough of it. Traps loaded with peanut butter are a better idea, though nut butters are toxic to cats too – though probably not in mouse-sized portions on a loaded trap.

Most cats won’t eat onions, chives and garlic but those that do suffer intestinal upsets and blood problems.

Cat lovers pamper their pets with baby food when they’re not feeling well. Whether the cats get better or worse depends on the flavour. Manufacturers started adding onion powder to baby food years ago. Check the label. If it contains onion or garlic, don’t feed it to your sick kitty.

Many cats nibble of indoor plants or flowers and can get ill. Some of the common indoor plants toxic to  cats include aloe, amaryllis, holly, mistletoe, and corn plants (lucky bamboo).

Cats don’t have sweet receptors on their tongues so they’re not terribly likely to eat  grapes, raisins, apple cores or peach pits (toxic seeds) but if your cat does, these are a serious hazard to its health.

Chocolate isn’t usually a cat snack, but it does make them sick. Sharing coffee, tea or colas that contain caffeine with a cat can cause problems, including irregular heartbeat.

Cats are more susceptible to avocado poisoning than dogs. Avocados are lethal for birds and rodents. Keep the guacamole or green tomato salsa away from all the pets at the party.

Giving milk to cats is an age-old tradition but it really isn’t a good idea because adult cats are actually lactose intolerant. As far as I know, no one has tested adult cats with cat milk which might be OK. Most people give them cow or goat milk which are very different from cat milk. So unless you plan to milk a cat…

For more information on toxicity symptoms, see my previous blog: Top 10 Foods Toxic to Dogs.

by Eva Everything

During the holiday season many dogs love to party with their owners. We’re indulging ourselves, so why not indulge the dog? Well, in short you can kill your dog with enough of the wrong stuff. Because dogs don’t know what’s good for them and will eat just about anything, it’s the humans’ job to keep them safe. Dogs make up 70% to 80% of all reported pet poisonings. It’s all fun and games until the dog gets sick.

Chocolate is the number one cause of accidental dog poisonings. The darker the chocolate, and the smaller the dog, the worse the affects. It can cause all kinds of problems including seizures and death.

Coffee beans, colas and other drinks containing caffeine can be problematic for a dog’s heart among other things.

No one knows why grapes and raisins cause kidney failure in dogs but given enough grapes, dogs can die.

Onions and chives are quite toxic for dogs and cause a dog’s red blood cells to rupture. Though less toxic, garlic isn't great for them either.

Avocados aren’t healthy for dogs. They cause stomach upsets and there is even a report of two dogs that died from eating too many avocados.

A handful of macadamia nuts is enough to make most dogs sick. Vomiting, tremors and panting occur within 12 hours of ingestion and can last a day or two. There are reports of a few dogs that have died from eating macadamia nuts. Best not to share your macadamia nut cookies with the dog.

Aside from getting your dog drunk, alcohol and beer can cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma and even death.

Xylitol is found in sugarless gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste. It causes vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. With a high enough dose, the dog may suffer seizures and even die of liver failure.

Raw yeast dough can rise once its in your pet’s stomach and cause a lot of pain. If the dough bloats up enough it can even cuase your dog’s stomach or intestines to rupture.  

Aside from toxic foods, there are other threats to a pet’s safety during the holidays. The berries of holly (red) and mistletoe (white) are quite toxic to people and pets.

Keep your pet safe during the holidays!

After many years of patiently auditioning more than 200,000 spudly hopefuls on an experimental farm in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the breeders triumphed with the french fry contender of their dreams. The golden arches in the U.S. makes french fries out of freshly harvested Shepody potatoes from August to October each year. Shepody matures early, but it spoils fast too. By November, it's not fit for premium fries. Are the scientists who bred the super spud working on breeding a new and improved potato? But of course. The perfect french fry is the holy grail of fast food.


In 2000, I wrote and produced a series of 25 stories for Discovery Channel Canada and 5 federal government departments. The development of Shepody potatoes was one of them.

EarthTones – Breeding the Shepody Potato

KNOW WHAT YOU EAT

You don't have to take some website's word for it. If you want to know how your food was produced, look at the Produce Code, or PLU - the numbers on those sticky labels on fruit and veg.

Produce Code Demystified

    * 3 or 4 at the beginning of the four digit PLU means that it’s grown conventionally (with pesticides etc)

    * 8 in front of the four digit PLU means it’s GM (genetically modified)

    * 9 in front of the four digit PLU means it’s organically grown

Here's an online lookup for PLU codes or you can download a more complete pdf list:

PLU Code Lookup and List