Photo: Courtesy Rebecca Collins ; Getty
Pet Poison Helpline wants to make the holidays drama-free for pet owners.
To help achieve this goal, the 24/7 animal poison control center is sharing warnings about popular holiday food items thatpet owners might not know are toxic to cats and dogs.
Unfortunately, the dog’s natural curiosity and excitement can lead to her sniffing out food items in the trash and on counters. Last Thanksgiving, Pippa’s nose directed her to a tray of unbaked bread rolls left on a kitchen counter to rise.
“I had left a dozen unbaked bread rolls on the kitchen counter to rise, covering them with a towel,” Rebecca Collins, Pippa’s pet parent, shared in a statement. “When I went to put them in the oven, I found that half of them were gone. I knew I didn’t eat them, but it took me a while to figure out what happened. It didn’t occur to me Pippa would be interested in bread dough.”
Collins began to suspect Pippa ate the rolls when she started to act strangely during her family’s Thanksgiving celebrations.
“I noticed that Pippa was acting sleepy, which is very unusual for her. Normally, she’s running around when company is over. Once I figured out that she must have eaten the rolls, I called Pet Poison Helpline. We discussed what and how much Pippa had eaten, and they instructed me to take her to the veterinary hospital.”
Pippa’s family learned from Pet Poison Helpline that unbaked bread dough containing yeast is “dangerous” for cats and dogs to consume.
“Potentially even more concerning, when the yeast use sugars in the unbaked dough (a process called fermentation), they produce ethanol. Ethanol from the fermenting yeast is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and results in alcohol poisoning. Ingestion of alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature. Severely intoxicated animals can potentially experience seizures and respiratory failure,” the veterinarian added.
After speaking with Pet Poison Helpline, Collins took to theAnimal Emergency and Specialty Center of Knoxville. Pippa arrived at the animal hospital with an elevated heart rate and a severely distended stomach.
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Veterinarians placed the golden retriever on IV fluids, gave her cold water to help counteract the rising process, and then waited to see if the dough would pass naturally. Thankfully, it did. If Pippa had not passed the blockage, she likely would’ve required surgery.
“Luckily, it didn’t come to surgery,” Collins said. “It was a very expensive Thanksgiving Day at the dog ER, but she’s back to full health now.”
source: people.com
