If you need advice get in touch with Sweeney Dog and ask our experts in dog walking, pet food and pet grooming.

We have walked over 25000 dogs in the last 3 years , we supply great value, high quality range of foods , and we wash hundreds of dogs a year.

If you are interested in developing a great business in pet care, have a look at our Franchise opportunities, its a great life style with the chance to build a profitable business.

Please be careful what you and your family feed your dogs at Xmas, sometimes a treat is poison and you would never forgive yourself.

1. Chocolate :
2. Chocolate contains Theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also common. The effect of Theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theo bromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include: vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, hyperactivity, irregular heartbeat and seizures.
3. Larger quantities of chocolate can poison or even kill a medium or large dog. An ounce or two of chocolate may not seem like much but it can be lethal to a small dog that weighs 10 lbs. or less. After their dog has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.
4. White chocolate is the least toxic, dry cocoa powder, the most Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more Theobromine than milk chocolate. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog sick. The next most dangerous forms are semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate, with white  and milk chocolate being the least dangerous.
5. Grapes and Raisins
6. Although the minimum lethal dosage is not known, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities. The symptoms are gastrointestinal signs including vomiting and diarrhoea, and then signs of kidney failure with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after ingestion.
7. they very toxic and can  cause Acute Renal Failure (kidneys). In lesser cases  it also, it causes them to stop eating and develop diarrhoea.
8. Onions & Garlic: Onions cause hemolytic anemia, which means that the red blood cells break down leaving the dog short of oxygen. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. The condition generally improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion. The poisoning may occur a few days after the dog has eaten the onion. At first dogs affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea, weakness and show little or no interest in food. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected dog’s urine making it dark colored. The dog will experience shortness of breath because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. Other symptoms are elevated body temperature, confusion, and increased heart rate. Seek veterinary care immediately.
9. The quantity of onions, raw or cooked, required is high enough that dogs can generally tolerate small doses of onions without any problem and moderate amounts of onion without apparent signs of onion poisoning. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.
10. While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.
11. Tomatoes and Tomato Plants:
12. These contain atropine which can cause dialated pupils, tremors and irregular heartbeat. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, next is the unripe (green) tomatoes and then the ripe tomato.
13. Caffeine:
14. Beverages with caffeine (like, tea, coffee or some fizzy drinks ) acts as a stimulant and can accelerate your pet’s heartbeat to a dangerous level. Pets ingesting caffeine have been known to have seizures, some fatal.
15. Macadamia  and other Nuts:
16. The toxic compound is unknown but eating as few as six nuts without the shell has been known to cause elevated body temperature, accelerated heartbeat, tremors in the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs have difficulty or are unable to rise, are distressed and usually panting. Some affected dogs have had swollen limbs and showed pain when the limb was manipulated.
17. Bones:
18. Cooked bones can be very hazardous for your dog. Bones become brittle when cooked which causes them to splinter when broken. The splinters have sharp edges that have been known to become stuck in the teeth, caused choking when caught in the throat or caused a rupture or puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract. Especially bad bones are turkey and chicken legs, ham, pork chop and veal.
19. Symptoms of choking are:
20. i.    Pale or blue gums
21. ii.    Gasping Open-mouthed breathing
22. iii.    Pawing at face
23. iv.    Slow, shallow breathing
24. v.    Unconscious, with dilated pupils
26. Raw bones:
27. (uncooked in any way) like chicken necks or beef knuckle bones are generally considered safe and help keep your dog’s teeth healthy by removing plaque. A caution – bones have a high calcium content and too many can cause severe constipation.
29. Xylitol (sweetener in many sugar-free gums and candies):
30. Sugarless candy containing xylitol has been recognized by the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) to be a risk to pets (first published July 2004). This compound can cause liver damage and death in some dogs. This information is recent and some vets may not be familiar with xylitol poisoning..
31. 10. Raw eggs :
32. (Raw): Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. Additionally, raw eggs are often contaminated with bacteria, such as salmonella, and you could end up giving your dog food poisoning in addition to biotin deficiency.
33. b. Symptoms of biotin depletion are hair loss, weakness, growth retardation and skeleton deformity. If your dog is suffering from these symptoms the situation is urgent, and veterinary treatment is needed.
34. Cooked eggs are high in protein and make an excellent treat. It is only the raw eggs that should not be given to your dog.
36. Good Luck  and best wishes for the festive period
38. Sweeney Dog is a successful business that is available as a Franchise . If you are interested in starting your own business this may be just what you are looking for. a low cost , low risk solution, that has huge potential of  of turnover in excess of £100k+ per annum

Sweeney Dog look after cats when owners are away from home.

As dog walker in York we get to see a lot of what passes through a dog. By feeding food with high quality protein and rice or maize content, there is little filler content in the food. This means that the poops are firm and easier to pick up, and there are less of them. This benefits everyone. At Sweeney Dog we can advise on good pet nutrition.  Beeter foods are more expensive to buy but it often works out as good value as cheaper foods because you feed less per meal. Contact us for details.

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

Feed your pet a good quality food, but feed at least twice a day and feed about 15% less than your normal amount

Cut out the treats and tit bits or take these into account and reduce the amount in the normal feeds

Give your pet plenty of excerise – if you havent the time, use a reliable dog walking service.

When your pet has reached the weight you are happy with, adjust the food to maintain this level.

Dog Walking Service