AR-News: (Korea) Feeding dogs

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/02/07/200402070001.asp
Dear Annie: I am writing to educate people about the dangers of feeding 
someone else's dog. I have a black Labrador that is 15 pounds overweight. She is 
not quite 2 years old and has hip dysplasia. Those extra 15 pounds can cause the 
disease to progress rapidly and cripple my dog at an early age. She looks 
perfectly healthy, and I realize people think they are doing a good deed, but it 
can be quite harmful. 
I measure my dog's food and walk her daily. Nonetheless, when we'd go to her 
monthly vet visit, she weighed the same, or worse, had gained a pound. I 
finally discovered that my neighbor had been giving her the family leftovers. 
The vet told me that whatever fat does to humans is three times more potent 
to dogs. People also might not realize that some human food is actually 
poisonous to our canine companions. Meat bones can splinter after ingestion, causing 
choking or perforations to the intestines. Rich human food can make them 
violently ill. 
An overweight dog is just as unhealthy as an overweight person. Since animals 
don't know any better, the next time you see that dog begging at the fence, 
keep this in mind. Instead of doing that dog a favor, you could be sending it 
to an early grave. - Loving My Fat Lab in Louisville, Ky. 
Dear Louisville: Our readers will appreciate the warning. It's hard to ignore 
an adorable dog that is eagerly watching you eat. So, dear readers, unless 
you know that the owners permit such treats, please remember this letter when 
tempted. 


"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.",
Albert Einstein

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