Avoid These Toxic Threats During the Holidays
Dr Kobus Grobler is a small animal veterinarian at Bergbos Animal Clinic, in Rustenburg. Due to the clinic being in a more rural area, they also deal with their fair share of game, livestock, and exotics.
During the festive season, do you see a lot of pets ingesting things that might be bad for them?
“Ingestion of foreign bodies is not linked to the festive season in our area. We get cases right through the year. The majority of cases these days are mealie cobs for some weird reason, although sosatie sticks also feature quite prominently. Some of the strangest cases we’ve had were an engagement ring, a doorstopper, and a doll’s head, all three of which had positive outcomes.”
Which foods are considered toxic for dogs?
“The most common foods that are toxic to dogs are onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts, and the artificial sweetener Xylitol.”
Are there plants and/or household items that are toxic for dogs, which they often ingest accidentally?
“There are a lot of plants in our gardens that are potentially toxic. Dogs in general do not eat plants, except for inquisitive puppies that may chew on some plants. I’ve had two cases in the past week of dogs that accidentally ingested swimming pool chlorine, but both recovered. A very interesting case many years ago, was of a Bull Terrier that habitually ate Lantana, a common garden plant that is very toxic to cattle. These days we see the odd case of marijuana poisoning which can be quite challenging to diagnose without a proper history. Owners are most often quite reluctant to divulge such sensitive information.”
Can dogs still eat ‘human food’ from time to time?
“My personal viewpoint is that a little bit of variety is good. I always compare the eating of dog pellets to humans eating rusks. If we were to eat the same brand of rusk day in and day out, life would be very monotonous. I do not discourage my clients from feeding some human food every now and then, but in absolute moderation.”
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Dr Kobus enjoys surgical work and appreciates the fact that he is part of a very dynamic team.
When did you decide to become a vet?
“I wanted to become a vet ever since I can remember. I suppose it is a calling because I have enjoyed it right from the start.”
Do you have any pets?
“I have a little mixed breed female that resembles a maned wolf, but is about the size of a teacup yorkie. She was brought in as a stray eight years ago and my daughter instantly fell in love with her. As is the case with many student pets, she landed up with us a month or so after having been adopted and we have been her godparents ever since.”
Any last thoughts on the topic?
“It is important to teach puppies to only eat out of their food bowls. This prevents them from eating foreign objects and makes them less likely to be maliciously poisoned. However, accidents will still occur. Keep foreign objects and poisonous items out of reach of pets and your visits to the vet will be less traumatic.”
