INGREDIENTS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO PETS

After her second daughter was born,  Cori Doern left a career as a producer in Toronto’s world-class post-production industry and moved from the city to the country.  Cori traded cutting video for cutting vegetables and creates soup stock instead of film stock.

Cori presented a jar of home-made soup to her daughter’s schoolteacher as a thank-you gift. Within weeks, Cori had sold 250 jars to local soup lovers. By the end of the year, she was supplying liquid gold to cafés in the Greater Toronto Area. By 2011, Cori had received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim.

The Toronto Star and Toronto Life deemed Cori’s soups “Delectable.”

Cori’s Café has received more than a handful of awards,  including Small Business of the Year award for 2013, Small Business Georgina 2014, Small Business York Region 2015, and the Café was voted Best Salads and Best Desserts by Georgina Advocate readers for both 2013 and 2014.

Cori has embraced country living to the fullest and is part of a team of residents passionate about local, organic farming.

During several visits to the café, and over many delicious meals, Cori and I discussed her love of food and my love of animals.  During one of these conversations, Cori suggested I join her as a guest on the television show she hosts.  ‘Cooking with Cori’ is where this talented individual has come full circle to television again, sharing her passion for cooking and healthy ingredients and produce (noun, not verb) on-screen.

The show is featured on Rogers TV, Georgina Cable 10. This episode will air in the New Year.

I was thrilled to participate and speak about the importance of nutrition for our companions and what foods to avoid sharing with our companions – foods that may be toxic to them.

FIVE……FOUR……THREE……TWO……ONE!

When creating feasts for friends and family, we are easily distracted.  We focus on conversations with our guests, constantly aware of our timing (what needs to go in the oven and when), and being a wonderful host or hostess. “Who needs more wine”?

When distracted, we might be less inclined to notice when pieces of food drop to the floor, never mind WHAT TYPE of food item!

Feeding scraps to dogs can be dangerous. Some human foods may cause digestive problems for our dogs and cats, and some can even be life-threatening.

A good habit to get into is teaching your dog ‘on your bed’ or crate (if you use a crate) while you’re busy in the kitchen and while eating (until the family has finished with food at the table) and again during clean-up.

 All pet parents should learn and teach dogs the training commands: ‘leave it,’ and ‘give’ or ‘drop.’

Foxy Apron – a gift from Penny Latham of Honeysuckle Cottage Sales (link below)

Dangerous food items for your pet

• Alcoholic beverages
• Dairy – Dogs do not have the digestive enzymes to break down the sugars in cow’s milk, so drinking milk can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, and vomiting in dogs.
• Apple seeds
• Apricot pits
• Avocados
• Cucumber (peel is toxic)
• Cherry pits
• Chocolate—toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol
• Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
• Garlic
• Grapes and Raisins
• Gum (can cause blockages and sugar-free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
• Hops (used in home beer brewing)
• Macadamia nuts
• Moldy foods
• Mushroom plants
• Mustard seeds
• Onions and onion powder
• Peach pits
• Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Rhubarb leaves
• Salt and salty foods – Processed foods, such as sausages, deli meat, and canned soup, contain a lot of salt. Too much salt can cause electrolyte imbalance, kidney disease, and seizures in dogs.
• Tea (because it contains caffeine)
• Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Walnuts
• Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
• Yeast dough

List compiled from various sources.

Thanks,