Big Paws Only Dog Forums

ok, so last night I made guacamole and gave my 7 year old the pitts because she wanted to plant them.
One of the pitts had split in half and she had put it on our dining room table.  I went in our game room later in the evening to let the furkids out before bed and saw that Gunner had gotten ahold of the pitt and chewed on it.
Luckily, it must have tasted pretty nasty to him because it wasnt completely obliterated.  I decided to look up avocado pitts and dogs and  wouldnt you know they are toxic and can cause death along with grapes, raisins and a whole slew of other things I didnt know about.
Here is the article I found:

As pet owners we often like to share with our pet all of the things that we ourselves enjoy in life, including food. However, there are a couple of reasons that you should always be very careful when considering introducing special treats to your pet.' The first reason is that the food you want to share may not be a particularly healthy food item and therefore you should think twice about allowing your pet to acquire a taste for something they shouldn't have.  Secondly and most importantly, although you may very well enjoy a particular food yourself, it might actually be very poisonous for your pet.

The following is a list of foods that your pet should avoid as they are all poisonous to some degree.

Note: Two detoxifying formulas sent by our readers follows this list.

Alcoholic Beverages: Any type of alcohol can be poisonous to your pet and aside from intoxication, can cause a coma or even death.

Apple Seeds:  Can have varied effects on pets.

Apricot Pits:  Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Avocado - ? 1/7/2008: Kathleen from Grand Rapids, MI writes: "I was told that avacados are not good for dogs is that true?"

Cherry Pits:  Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Candy containing the sweetener Xylitol: Can cause liver damage and even death.

Chocolate:  Although pets should never have any type of chocolate, milk chocolate is not nearly as dangerous for animals as semi-sweet or unsweetened bakers chocolate.  Chocolate poisoning can cause irregular heart rate and rhythm, restlessness, hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, panting, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, bloody urine, increased body temperature, seizures, coma and possibly even death.

Coffee:  Can result in increased breathing and heart rate, restlessness and affects the central nervous system.

Grapes:  Large amounts of grapes can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Hops:  May cause panting, elevated temperature, increased heart rate, seizures and possibly death.

Macadamia Nuts:  Can cause vomiting, lethargy, hyperthermia, abdominal pain, stiff joints, lameness and tremors.

Moldy Foods:  Can have varied effects on pets including vomiting and diarrhea.

Mushrooms:  Different types of mushrooms can have varied effects on pets such as, depression, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, tearing, hallucinations, defecation, liver failure, seizures, drooling, urination, kidney failure, heart damage, hyperactivity and in some cases, death.

Mustard Seeds:  Can have varied effects on pets.

Onions and Onion Powder:  Can cause gastrointestin al problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Peach Pits:  Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Potato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Raisins: Large amounts of raisins can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

See Snopes Report for Confirmation: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

 

Rhubarb Leaves:  Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Salt:  In large quantities can cause electrolyte imbalances.

Tea:  Can have varied effects in pets.

Tomato Leaves and Stems:  Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Walnuts:  Can cause gastrointestin al problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as respiratory issues such as sneezing, breathing and coughing.

Yeast Dough:  Can be dangerous as it will expand and result in gas, pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

 

NOTE: If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435

Just took some new pic's today of the bratties!!!

Almost everytime I meet a human owned by an Akita they have an interesting story of how that came about.
I wanted to share my story of fate and how my Kira was meant to be with us forever.

We are a military family and had just moved to VA.  My kids were begging me to get a dog and hubs and I started debating on what kind we wanted, big or small.  I wanted an Akita but hubs said that was too big for our townhouse so we went to a petshop(ok, we were not pet savvy.  we know better now) and saw the cutest little min pin and since our youngest was only a baby we figured that would be best.  At the PS I also saw this GORGEOUS tri-color female Akita pup but she has already been bought just waiting to be picked up by her new family.  So we bought Lexi, the min pin.   
About 4-5 months later I was at home and my kids were outside with our pup and started screaming that this big dog was in our yard sniffing our barely 5 pound pup.  I went outside and saw this awesome looking akita and all she wanted to do was play but she was sooo big compared to our dog and my kids!  About 3 mins later this guy comes running with a leash in hand and sees us, by this time my hubs is outside with us.  he looks at the guy and recognized him as someone we were stationed with in NC.  They were actually feild buddies when they were with the marines.  It was his akita,  he informed us that he was bringing her to a shelter the next day.  They had just had a new baby and she was not listening or training very well and she was also a runner and always looking for a way out.
I said, no way if you are giving her away I want her.  He handed me her leash and said I'll be right back with her crate, food, toys, papers and anything else she has.
when he brought her papers to us i recognized the folder to be the same PS we bought lexi  at and when I looked at her purchase date I nearly fell over and said "OMG, this is the Akita I saw and wanted at the PS".  He had bought her the same day we bought our dog!!!! 
She became part of our family that day.  She was 6 mos old and all the problems he had with her, we never had.  She just needed attention and that she got plenty of and a play mate in Lexi.
RIght before we moved away form VA 2 1/2 years later, we were walking Kira near our home, which was heavily wooded with tons of critters  running amuck.  i let her leash go to get something out of the stroller and she took off and we couldnt catch her and before long she had ran so fast and disappered into the woods.  I dont think I had ever cried so hard in my life.  I felt so sick.  We were moving to WA state in 3 weeks and my dog was gone.  We called the animal shelter everyday asking is someone had brought her in to no avail.  On the sat before we left my friend picked me up for lunch and I had the classifieds with me in the van and I just decided to look in the lost/found ads.  One ad just struck me, one it was in our area about 5 miles away it said a husky mix female had be found.
when we lost her she still had her leash and collar attached to her.  I called the guy and said I think you have my dog.  He said to describe her and I said she was a FB Akita not a husky and she was 3 colors mainly white and had a purple halter and green leash.  The line was dead silent for a few seconds, then he said "today was the last day for this ad to run. I was so sure no one would call for her.  I was really hoping that you wouldnt call."
I screamed and cried in joy and begged him to meet me now.  he did and when she saw us there was no denying she was our dog and we were her family.
After that incident, she did get lose a few more times but the funny thing is when we call her she comes back now, like she knows that if she is lost she may not come home to us!  In Jan.  we almost lost her to bloat.  I cant tell you how I felt that day, I actually caught myself saying, "I dont know what I will do if she doesnt make it."  Some of my friends were looking at me like I had 2 heads and when they found out how much her surgery cost they called me crazy and said they would have put her to sleep.
Well, im glad I made the choice I did.  she is my girl and will be till the day she crosses that bridge.
This is my story of how I became owned by an Akita!

I was wondering how much everyone else's akita's changed over the years.  Kira started out with a black face but it lightend over the years, now at 6 1/2 she has a grey muzzle, but that started at around 3 years old.
Ok, from 2 years to 4 years is on another computer...lol!

Hi, My name is Michelle.  We just adopted our baby boy gunner almost a week ago.  He is a Bull/English mastiff mix pup.  It looks like he may be taking his looks and frame from the Old English side.  i also have a 6 1/2 year old Akita famale, Kira.

Hi, my name is Michelle and I am mom to Kira, a 6 1/2 year old tri-color female akita.  She is a beauty and the best dog ever....im not biased, even our vet says so...LOL!
If someone could advise me on how to upload pic's I can post some of her and her new brother gunner and English/Bull mastiff mix puppy.
Thanks in advance.

Michelle