Stuart Jeffries
Tuesday December 11, 2007
The Guardian

Want to give your dog hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures? Put it into a coma? Or simply kill it? If so, feed it chocolate this Christmas - ideally posh dark chocolate containing particularly high levels of theobromine.

Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid of the cocoa plant found in chocolate. Although harmless to humans, it can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions and even death in animals that digest theobromine slowly, such as dogs. The lethal dosage is between 250 and 500mg per kg of body weight. So if Rover’s a chihuahua, that chocolate button will be more toxic than if he were a rottweiler.

Usually, the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. A 40g bar of Green & Black’s organic dark 70% chocolate, for instance, contains 48mg theobromine - not enough to kill, perhaps, but enough to induce what vets call “digestive issues”, not to mention dehydration, excitability, and a slow heart rate. White chocolate contains lower proportions of theobromine.The RSPCA has long campaigned against feeding dogs chocolate - especially at Christmas, when tree decorations, chocolate boxes and unsuspecting owners provide lots of opportunities for theobromine poisoning. Last year the Veterinary Poisons Information Service received 790 calls about chocolate poisoning; this year the figure is already at 844. Steve Cheetham, RSPCA head of veterinary services, says: “Special chocolate drops are available from pet shops if you want to give your dog a chocolate treat.” These are made of carob and so contain no theobromine.

If caught early, theobromine poisoning is treatable. Ask yourself this, though: do you really want to spend Christmas inducing your dog to vomit and/or feeding him charcoal slurry, which absorbs the toxic material? The answer is no.

These two cat videos are too funny not to share. Make sure and watch the top one first, with sound. Then watch the second one at the bottom for the translation.

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Skydiving with pugs? Now that is a new sport!

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I know this is a dog blog, but this video seemed pretty special. It is of a cat named Charley who has a disorder called cerebellar hypoplasia. The video is a wonderful attempt to educate people and to show how precious each and every life is, including Charley’s.

I don’t know if there is any breed of dog more cute or cuddly than a pomeranian. Friends of ours are very fortunate to have two of them, Kalika and Nani. While at a Friday evening cocktail party, I snapped some photos of the pair in their runway model best. Pomeranians make great pets because they are intelligent, courageous, and loyal companions.

Kalika is wearing an orange, polka dot, Canine Klein as she poses for the camera. Photo by Rick Scadlock, July 2007

Nani shows off her beautiful, pink Ruff Lauren on the cat walk. Photo by Rick Scadlock, July 2007

Pomeranian, Kalika, strikes a pose. Photo by Rick Scadlock, July 2007

Tillman is an incredibly talented English Bulldog. He takes skateboarding to a whole new level of cool. A lot of people have seen videos going around of an English Bulldog and his skateboarding abilities. This video is of the lesser know, but more talented, Tillman. That is why they call him “the other skateboarding English Bulldog.”

I couldn’t resist posting these two videos of Tillman in Los Angeles. Traveling his way through parks, streets and even the famous Hollywood walk of fame, Tillman turns heads wherever he goes and for good reason! Tillman’s skateboarding abilities and sense of balance are incredible. It just goes to show that dogs are much more intelligent than a lof of people like to give them credit for.

It is no secret that I am a huge lover of all pets and animals, especially dogs, but hippos???

A South African family has adopted a very unique animal for their treasured pet, a hippopotamus. Considered to be one of the most dangerous of wild animals, a hippo is a rare choice. Jessica washed up in flood water and was captured by a park ranger, Tony. She was only 1 day old. Jessica developed a strong bong with Tony and his wife. Acting more like the family dog, Jessica wanders in an out of the house and makes herself right at home. Hippos live well into their 40’s, so this hippo could be around for a long, long time.

Have a look at Jessica:

Oprah writes of the tragic loss of her dog, Gracie, in the most recent issue of “O” magazine. In the magazine, Oprah writes “While outside, the golden retriever found another dog’s ball and accidentally choked to death on it. Of that fateful day, Oprah says, “I ran barefoot out of the house and found the dog walker and one of my security guards pumping her chest. Just as I reached them, the security guard looked up and said, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am. We tried everything. I’m sorry. She’s gone.”

I know how much Oprah loves her dogs. She has had them on her show MANY times. I feel for her and understand her loss. It is no less than losing a beloved family member. Gracie, her golden retriever, was only 2 years old. Oprah says she learned many lessons from Gracie and she writes “I have never seen a being, human or animal, always so full of joy. This dog lived every moment as though it were her last.” A great lesson to learn. If only we all lived each moment like Gracie.

Welcome to Dog Bloggin. A brand new web site and blog dedicated entirely to everything dog. Your comments are welcome and encouraged, please join in. If you have a favorite breed, know of a great dog story or have a dog photo you would like to share, please contact us by sending an email to rick@dogbloggin.com.

One of the popular designer breeds of dogs is the Puggle. A brilliant cross between a Pug and a Beagle. The breed combination is quite interesting, since the two original breeds are very different from each other to begin with. Pugs and Beagles, bred together, bring out complementary qualities of each breed.

Puggles generally stand about 13-15 inches high at the shoulders and range from 15-30 pounds.  Because Puggles are not yet pure bred dogs, their looks can be quite different from dog to dog. One benefit of the Puggle vs. the Pug is, because of their longer legs, eye socket size, and less effusive wrinkles, puggles often avoid many difficulties with eyes, joints, and skin wrinkles common to pugs. Puggles also have much fewer problems with heat stroke than pugs and are able to walk and exercize in a much more normal capacity.

Another great benefit to owning a Puggle is that they are very low maintenance dogs. Puggles generally only require minor grooming, although, they do tend to shed somewhat. An occasional bath, nail clipping and ear cleaning is all they need.

Puggles are VERY mild mannered dogs, but can also be quite playful. They have the ability of making great lap dogs. Puggles need short walks and tend to tire quickly and enjoy their naps. Because of this, they are excellent dogs to have as indoor house pets. Puggles do not tend to bark and howl like most beagles do, which makes them more quiet than traditional beagles.

Jack the Puggle. Photo taken by Rick Scadlock

Jack the Puggle. Photo taken by Rick Scadlock