An ingredient in some dog treats could poison your pet, and a Jacksonville pet owner is trying to warn others after her dog was sick for about a year.
Walking down the pet store aisle, there are many treats to choose from for your dog and if you check the ingredients there’s one, propylene glycol, that Gloria Thompson said caused her dog to be sick.
"I don't think it's safe at all. I mean, if it made her that sick imagine what it's doing to her organs,” said Thompson.
Thompson said Naulla was in training to become a therapy dog and was getting several treats a day containing the ingredient.
"As soon as I cut that out, she wasn't sick for months," said Thompson.
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Lakewood Animal Clinic veterinarian Craig Sandler said propylene glycol is an additive approved by the FDA in small amounts and it helps bring moisture into pet food products.
Dog treats can only contain up to 10 percent of the ingredient.
"What can happen is neurologic symptoms. They can get kind of dizzy when they are wobbly. Very lethargic, which means they don't want to move around a whole lot," said Sandler.
Sandler said it only becomes a problem when dogs are fed a combination of foods and treats with propylene glycol or if they are given more than five treats are given per day.
"Most of them, they're in the safe range. Obviously, if you use a good quality food or treat, it probably won't have propylene glycol in it," said Sandler.
Sandler said it’s best to stick with natural treats for your dog that contain human-grade ingredients.
Also, Sandler said, propylene glycol is very dangerous for cats to consume.
Cox Media Group
