Ah, Nuts!!

My dad decided to try one of those health food cereals that resemble twigs, gravel, and tree bark. He hated it and gave the bag to me. He knows we try to eat a healthy diet.

As I transferred the cereal into the storage container, a few pieces of it fell onto the kitchen floor. Like a little vacuum, Gracie sucked up the pieces before I could stop her. I quickly inspected the cereal and was dismayed to see it contained slivers of almond.

I knew that certain nuts were toxic to pets. I also suspected she had only consumed one little sliver, so I doubted she would be harmed. For good measure, I hopped onto the computer and searched the Internet for information about toxicity. Here are the links I found:

http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-health-toxins/Nut-Dangers-to-Dogs.aspx

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/211105.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Grapes,-Nuts,-and-Your-Dogs-Health---Foods-that-Fido-should-Avoid&id=20315

I also called REACH, the local emergency animal hospital. Since it was only one sliver, they were not concerned.

Some of you may think I am a nut myself. Yeah, I probably am overly cautious. However, it is important to remember that some nuts are highly toxic. As you will see from the links, macadamia nuts in particular are very, very dangerous.

I must also take Gracie’s size into consideration. Gracie is not a 100-pound Labrador Retriever. A little goes a long way with small dogs. Given the staggering financial and emotional costs of pet treatment, a little dose of caution is a good thing.

By the way, the cereal was HORRIBLE.

Rescue Mommy