How You May Be Poisoning Your Pet

We adore our pets and love to pamper them with treats, sometimes even just to watch them munching away happily.

Treats also come in handy when you’re trying to train your dogs or teach them tricks for example. Today, there has been an influx of dog treats from China. These treats are readily available in pet stores all over the country. They are cheap, and have an extended shelf life, which makes them popular.

However, what many people don’t know is that these treats can cause a great deal of harm to your pets. In fact, even small portions fed over an extended period of time can lead to serious deterioration of your pet’s health and can even be fatal.

“It is generally something that manufacturers add to their food products to keep them soft and chewable”

The Hidden Suspect

The constant ingredient in these notorious doggy treats is propylene glycol. So what makes this so harmful for your pets? Propylene glycol is basically a moistening agent. It is generally something that manufacturers add to their food products to keep them soft and chewable. The bad news is that it is derived from ethyl glycol, which is basically the antifreeze we pour into our cars to prevent the fuel from freezing over.

Why it’s Harmful

Cats are more affected by this dangerous toxin than dogs. It causes them to develop an extremely dangerous blood condition known as Heinz Body anaemia. What it essentially does is destroy the blood cells in the body. Here are some of the symptoms associated with this condition in your pets.

• Diminished or loss of appetite
• Fever
• Diminished energy or weakness all of a sudden
• Discolouration of the skin
• Pale mucus membranes
• Dark urine

Alternative Course of Action

As soon as you notice more than a couple of these symptoms in your pet, don’t waste any more time and get them to a vet immediately! If you eventually tire of reading through the list of ingredients whenever you want to buy treats for your pet, you can opt to make your own doggie treats at home. It’s way cheaper and definitely healthier for your pet.