4月29日

Felines Fit for Show

Cat lovers present their pets to the world, and challenge the notion that dogs are man’s best friend

Inedible Items for Pets

Question: Could you provide me a list of items my dog and cat should not eat?

Answer: Dogs, and sometimes cats, chew almost anything. Unfortunately, certain foods and everyday substances that are fine for people can be toxic for pets. Even a small quantity of the following substances can put your pet’s health at risk.

Alcoholic beverages. No amount of alcoholic beverage is safe.

Chocolate. It is toxic to pets. The darker the chocolate, the more harmful. The caffeine and theobromine in chocolate can cause pets to vomit, have diarrhea, have rapid, irregular heartbeats, muscle tremors and seizures.

Macadamia nuts. These can cause temporary muscle weakness, often in the hind legs. Other signs include vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.

Onions and garlic. They have a chemical that damages red blood cells and can cause anemia. Even one small, whole onion can cause death. So be particularly careful when disposing of leftovers that contain a significant amount of onions, such as pizza or Chinese take-out. The small amounts of onion and garlic powder used in pet foods is safe and well below toxic levels, and small amounts of garlic do have health benefits.

Raisins and grapes. They cause vomiting, diarrhea and kidney failure in dogs.

Sugarless gums and candies. Large amounts of the sugar substitute xylitol can cause a rapid drop in your dog’s blood sugar.

Moldy or spoiled food. Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting, diarrhea, and damage to internal organs.

Yeast dough, used in making bread or desserts. Because it is designed to expand, it can produce gas in pets’ digestive systems, causing pain and possible rupture of stomach or intestines.

Plants. Many common yard and houseplants can be poisonous, including lily, daffodil, azalea and cycads.

Specialized Terms

Theobromine (n) 可可碱 a bitter, colorless organic compound that comes from the cacao bean

Anemia (n) 贫血 a medical condition in which there are not enough red blod cells in the blood

Vocabulary Focus

Inedible (adj) not suitable as food

Vomit (v) to empty the contents of the stomach through the mouth 呕吐

Diarrhea (n) an illness in which the body's solid waste is more liquid than usual and comes out of the body more often 腹泻

Tremor (n) 震颤

Seizure (n) 癫痫发作

Macadamia nuts 澳大利亚坚果

Hind (adj) at the back of an animal's body

Dispose of (phrasal verb) to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the matter is finished

Raisin (n) 葡萄干

Kidney (n) either of a pair of small organs in the body which take away waste matter from the blood to produce urine 肾

Xylitol (n) 木糖醇

Yeast (n) a type of fungus which is used in making alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine, and for making bread swell and become light 酵母

Rupture (n) an instance of bursting, breaking or tearing

Daffodil (n) 水仙花

Azalea (n) 杜鹃花

Cycad (n) 苏铁

Discussion Question

Of all of the unsafe items on the list, which surprises you the most and why?

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