Labradoodle Allergies, they are what they eat...

We have been asked many times about selecting a dog food and what foods are toxic.  This is all published on our blog but we believe it is helpful and worth restating in an email to the families of our puppies.  All the best, Krista, Kathy, Cindy and Alisa of Rainmaker Ranch Labradoodles

We use the best puppy food available. We do not feed people food to our dogs ever, some things you would never imagine are actually toxic (listed below). Please read the labels and understand what you are feeding your dog.

To find a good food read the first 5 ingredients on the bag. http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3395 the ingredients are listed in order of amount with the highest quantity listed first.  Now ask the following questions:

What are the protein sources? We believe the primary source should come from quality animal protein, not vegetable protein or grain. Foods that list 2 or more grains in the first 5 ingredients may have more vegetable protein than animal protein. We prefer Chicken as the main ingredient.

What about grains? Two or more grains listed in the first 5 ingredients means your food may have more vegetable protein than animal protein. Grains such as soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten can be difficult to digest, which means less nutrition, possible allergic reactions and more clean up. Wheat, barley, rice, corn and oats are all man-raised crops that a dog would never eat in the wild.   These ingredients are not properly digested and in many situations cause a dog to show allergy symptoms.

Are there by-products? Some manufacturers consider by-products inferior sources of protein and, depending on the source, they can be difficult to digest. Most dog foods contain protein sources labeled as “meal”, “digest” or “by-product”. These ingredients contain meat sources that are typically unsuitable for human consumption.

What are the fat sources? Some fats are better than others. We believe the primary fat source in dog food should be animal based because animal fats contain a profile of fatty acids that are easily metabolized and thus are generally more available to the body.

Toxic items

First all dog owners should know where their emergency vet is located.  The last thing you want is to be looking for the place when your dog is ill, late at night, so be prepared and do a dry run during the day.  It may save a life.

Second you need to be aware how to make a dog throw up if he or she does ingest something they should not.  This can be anything from a sock to the following foods.  Please call your vet or emergency vet clinic for advice on if inducing vomiting is a good idea based on the item and time.

Vomiting will not help in some situations and could harm him or her even more, please…

• Do not induce if the dog has already started vomiting.


• Do not induce if the dog has lost consciousness, has trouble breathing, or she has become too weak to stand.


• Do not induce if the dog has swallowed bleach, drain cleaner or a petroleum distillate product. These products will burn the esophagus and mouth parts again on the way up.


• Do not induce if the dog swallowed the material more than two hours ago because the item or substance has likely passed into the small intestine, at which point your dog can’t vomit it back up.

You can induce if…

• your vet has advised you to do it during your phone call;


• your dog has ingested antifreeze (ethylene glycol) no more than two hours ago

That said, follow these steps to induce vomiting.

1. Into a small bowl, glass or mug, pour some three percent hydrogen peroxide, the same you have for a childs cut.


2. Pour about 3 cc’s for every 20 pounds of your dog’s weight into a small cup.


3. Open her mouth slightly tilting her head back, pour a steady stream of the hydrogen peroxide toward the back of her mouth, which will force her to swallow it.


4. Wait ten minutes. If she hasn’t yet started to vomit, repeat steps 2 and 3.


5. Call your vet immediately if she doesn’t vomit after the second dose.

So what is toxic to your dog besides the obvious, antifreeze?  Well here is a list of those that will cause harm.

• Grapes, Raisins


• Candy, gum containing xylitol


• Mushrooms


• Castor Bean


• Cocoa powder, cooking chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate in order of most toxic


• Onions and garlic


• Macadamia nuts


• Pear pits, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pits (contain cyanogenic glycosides in cyanide poisoning)


• Potato peelings and green looking potatoes


• Rhubarb leaves


• Moldy/ spoiled foods


• Alcohol


• Yeast dough


• Coffee grounds, beans and tea (caffeine)


• Hops (used in home brewing)


• Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)


• Broccoli


• Raw salmon


• Apple (stem and leaves)


• Yew (American, English, Western)


• Wild Cherry


• Japanese Plum


• Ficus(Cuban Laurel)


• Cherry


• Balsam Pear


• Ficus Lyrata (Fiddle-Leaf)


• Oak


• Philodendron (Devil’s Ivy)


• English Ivy


• Jasmine


• Vine


• Matrimony Vine


• Virginia Creeper


• Asparagus Fern


• Caladium


• Colocasia (Elephant’s Ear)


• Deiffenbachia (Dumb Cane)


• Philodendron (Saddle Leaf, Split Leaf)


• Poinsetta


• Mum (Pot and Spider)


• Umbrella Plant


• Aloe Vera


• Mistletoe