DENVER -- November 4, 2009

Don't. Feed. The Dog.

Ha. Bet you never thought you'd hear me say that, did you? Frankly, I never thought I'd hear me say that, but it turns out that this is a rule that must be followed.

I'm sure you know that some foods are not good for dogs to eat. Even I, a genuine Labrador Retriever, who considers leaves and twigs and toy stuffing and used Kleenex and poop and cardboard great delicacies, even I understand that some things, even people food, will make me very sick. Marianne makes me walk away from tidbits I find on the floor at home, at work and out in public, partly because hoovering the floor is Bad Form For Service Dogs and partly because it might be something that could make me sick.

Marianne also won't let me take food from someone else unless they have her permission, and only if it's an approved treat and only if I work for it. She's tough, she is. But really, you know this, don't you? Offering food to anyone's dog without asking is a bad idea because the dog might be on a special diet or allergic to something. Offering food to a working dog is just plain wrong because you are distracting the dog from his job and teaching him to look to someone other than his handler for food and treats.

Here are foods you probably already know that dogs shouldn't eat:

--> Bones that splinter (fish, chicken, pork etc.)

--> Chocolate

--> Alcohol

--> Caffeine

--> Spoiled or moldy food

--> Sugar

But maybe you didn't know that grapes are bad for dogs because they contain a toxin that can cause major, possibly fatal kidney damage. How do I know this? Because a CCI graduate dog in Denver nearly died after eating grapes. I'm changing the names (because Marianne insisted) to protect the stupid (Dingbat), but here's what happened:

CCI service dog (Yellow Dog) and his partner (Miss YD) work at a large hospital in Denver. A co-worker (Dingbat) offered to take Yellow Dog outside for a quick "hurry break." Miss YD allowed a very few trusted co-workers to do this as long as they followed the CCI rules. Dingbat knew the rules. Yellow Dog and Dingbat proceeded outside, where Yellow Dog "hurried" on command as expected. Dingbat munched on her morning snack of grapes as they strolled back inside. Dingbat thought Yellow Dog should have a snack too, and fed him 20 grapes. WITHOUT ASKING YELLOW DOG'S PARTNER OR CONSIDERING IF GRAPES WERE AN APPROPRIATE TREAT, DINGBAT FED THE DOG.

You know what happened, don't you? Yellow Dog ended up later that day at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital as a result. Miss YD was beyond distraught, at first because she didn't know what made Yellow Dog so sick and then when she found out that a "trusted" co-worker disobeyed her clearly stated rule of Do Not Feed Yellow Dog. Fortunately the spectacular vets and staff at Alameda East were able to save Yellow Dog's life, much to everyone's relief.

No one takes Yellow Dog out for "hurry breaks" now except Miss YD.

Yellow Dog is sorry he accepted food from someone he thought was a friend.

Dingbat did not offer to pay the vet bill. I'm not altogether sure she even apologized sufficiently to Miss YD and Yellow Dog. Grrrrrrrr.

I hope you remember this story the next time you're tempted to give your dog a treat; please make sure it's not something that might be harmful. And PLEASE don't feed the working dogs, period.

Chow for now!

Ross

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