A Chubby Dog's New Year's Resolution

The number one new year's resolution that most humans make is to lose weight.  Last year at this time my owners were doing a special diet program, and both lost weight, and when they stopped the program, the weight started coming back on, which seems to be the way it goes. 

Dogs like me gain more weight than we should, too.  How do you know if your dog is overweight?  Here's a couple of general guidelines:

• When you pass your hands gently down our sides where the ribs are, you should be able to feel them, but shouldn't necessarily, depending upon the breed, be able to see them...that means we are starving.  We should have a thin healthy layer of fat over our ribs.


• Our belly area, which is the tail-end 1/2 or so of our body, beyond/below the ribcage, should not bulge out on the sides, our bodies should narrow out in that area. 

My owner and I are making a resolution before New Years, and that is to get outside and walk more...she used to take me out when the weather was warmer, but we tend to get lazy when it gets colder.  I can't walk as far as she does, so first we go out for my short walk, then she goes for her longer walk.   Walking is really the best exercise we can get, especially if you live in an area where your dog doesn't have free run of a yard or large piece of property.

For some dogs, you may not be able to leave food down all day...some dogs you can and they will only take from it when they are hungry, others will eat all that they are given.  If your dog is the later, then give the dog a couple of meals a day...most packages of dog food have instructions on how much to give by weight.

Of course, always leave water for your dog available 24 hours a day.

Dog Care During Winter and Christmas

I've left my owner inside typing (lucky owner) while I'm outside barking because we hear guns going off in the woods....it's hunting season!  We feel sorry for the deer and other animals that are being hunted, which is kind of strange, because both my owner and I like eating meat. 

It made me think of pet safety...around here small dogs have to be careful not only of hunters if we decide to wander off in the woods, but also of bears in the summer, and other animals....even dogs....that are bigger than us.

We have done some posts in the past about pet safety in the winter and during the holidays, and thought we'd give you links to them to save my owner a little typing...the information is important and the same whether it was typed in 2008 or now:

Pet Safety During the Holidays

Keeping Outdoor Dogs Warm

Shopping for Dog Christmas Gifts

We'll be back to add more links, I know we have some, we just have to find them.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, and wishing you a happy Christmas season!

Watch a Dog Giving Birth

If you've read my blog, you know that my owner was there when I was born.  She saw the whole thing!  It was a beautiful site in many ways, but if you are squeamish, it may be hard to watch. She was looking to see if she could find any videos of Yorkies being born.  She found a couple, but none that looked as nice and interesting as this video of a Maltese puppy being born.  What a good mommy she/he had.

My owner watched me being born, I was the first of the litter delivered, but my Mom walked around while she was delivering...it was a warm day, and she even walked outside.  In the post before this one you'll find a link to pictures of me back then, and there are some on this blog. 

Enjoy this video:

My Yorkie Pictures and Yorkie Art

I have been putting together a place for you to look at my pictures, and also look at some nice Yorkshire Terrier art.  We had fun putting together "Yorkie Pictures and Artwork" and hope you'll stop by for a visit.

There are pictures of me all through my life, and we had fun matching artwork with the pictures.  You'll find other Yorkie things there, too, so we hope you'll stop by for a visit and let us know what you think.

My Dog Neighbors Were Lost in a Fire

Last night was a sad night in our neighborhood.  It all started just after it got dark, we saw flashing lights, and looked out the window.  Across the street there was a police car and some smoke.  Before we knew it there were fire trucks and fire men all over.  No one was home...except the dogs, one a large labrador retreiver and the other a sweet grey pit bull that we've been watching grow up for the past few months. 

The neighbors that owned the dogs were out at the time, and drove in behind a fire engine knowing that someones house was on fire, but didn't know it was theirs.  A neighbor stopped their car before it got up the street to warn them that it was their home.

It was so sad to watch the mother, daughter and her boyfriend as they wanted so much to get into the house to get the dogs, the firemen had to hold them back, and they just hugged and cried.  Moments later the house burst into flames that lept up into the trees, and the firemen had to get the fire under control.  It was a small cabin, so the damage was extensive.

Sadly, the two precious dogs were found later in the evening during the cleanup.  We heard that the firemen said that they were able to find the source of the fire because the young dog's little body was faced right towards it.  Oh, it hurts to even tell the story, we are all so very sad about the whole thing, even though we're happy that no people were in the house.

Neighbors have been giving and helping all day, and there is a little cross with flowers for both of the dogs out in front of the house, that is now all boarded up, no one can live in it now.

I don't know that there is anything that anyone could have done to save the dogs or prevent this, it was just one of those things, and we are all mourning the loss, but no one more than the young woman and her boyfriend who were always out in the yard with their dog, training it and playing with it.

So give your dogs and extra hug tonight, and think about how safe your home is when you leave your dog alone in the house.

A Dog at a Laptop and Dog Training

Today I visited a website with my owner that had a picture of a dog sitting at a laptop...I guess the dog hasn't trained it's owner to do that work for him yet, and now my owner is getting ideas...anyway, we both thought it was a cute picture.

But while we were there, we DID see a lot of things that will help you with dog training.  I've told you before that because I'm a small dog, I tend to get away with things that bigger dogs don't, so training for me is different than it would be for, lets say, a big German Shephard or Labrador Retriever.  For example, if I jump up on my owners lap, or jump on someone who is visiting, sometimes they like it because I'm small and cute, so they don't need to train me to stay down.   If a German Shepard or other big dog did that, it would be very different.

Even though I think I'm perfect and don't need any training, my owner liked visiting dogtrainersearch.com and she thinks you will too, especially if you want to learn how to train your dog, whether it be big or small.  There were quite a few good articles and links there, so stop by and let us know what you think.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and come back soon!

How Your Dog Talks to You

After being with my owners for over 10 years, they have learned to understand my language, and I understand theirs. You have to really love your dog to bother to understand them, I know many who have dogs that are just left outside all day, or left alone all day while owners are at work, that's not really having a relationship with your dog...maybe you don't agree, but I'm a dog, and I know I don't like being left alone all the time.

Kelly Marshall shares some nice tips on "What Dog Sounds Mean" that will help you understand your dog better:

When your dog softly whimpers that means: I’m hurt! I'm frightened. The average human is most likely to hear this at the vet, when a dog is suffering, or when an obedient dog is in a strange location that appears intimidating. This is really a mewing sound that young dogs make when they feel cold, hungry, or troubled.

Loud, long drawn out whining sounds mean: Please give me something . . . or I want something ... A puppy usually uses this sound when he’s waiting for his meal, or for the leash to be put on, or when they are trying to get his master s attention, etc.

When a dog sighs accompanied by a dog's lying down with his head on his forepaws, can have two meanings, depending on the context and his facial expressions. With his eyelids half open, this is a sign of enjoyment, which means I am happy and am going to relax. With eyes wide open, this is a sign of dissatisfaction when something expected has not transpired, this means: I quit!

When a dog is baying: This is the sound of hounds during a hunt. It is translated as Follow me this way! Let us attack him! or All together now!

When a dog yip howls this is really more of a yip yip yip howl, with the final howl quite drawn out. It basically means I am very lonely I feel deserted! or Where is everybody?

When a dog howls: I’m over here! This is my space! or I hear you out there! A confident dog will howl just to announce where he is. Howling also often happens in response to a yip howl from another canine. It has a more echoing sound to the human ear than does the yip howl, which is often called mournful.

When a dog moans: ar owl wowl wowl . . . over a short period of time. It is a sound of impulsive pleasure and excitement that means I am flabbergasted! or Let’s play! A dog usually moans when something he anticipates something exciting to happen.

When a dog is panting: Let us go now! This means he is very excited. [or if I can butt in here, I pant when I'm hot, or when I'm afraid and worn out from worrying.]

Pets can also learn vocalizations. For example, the bark that dogs often give to the command speak sounds are very different from an impulsive bark. The same can be said for the bark that police dogs are taught. Many dogs can be taught certain sounds for certain settings, from simple barks, moans, or play growls to more complicated sounds that may sound like yodels.

Other Dog Bytes:

To learn more about your hound and what it may be trying to tell you like what digging is all about right in the middle of the back yard, head to helpful resources on the web and locally. You can find plenty of free pet tips, for example, on pet websites – like those at Squidoo, MySpace and Hubpages under “dogs” searches in each place.

Or check with your local librarian to order a bookstack on the topic, available for pickup later on in the week for studying back at your home.

Author Resource:-> Article by Kelly Marshall from http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-carriers Oh My Dog Supplies - the top place to buy http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-beds dog beds online

Dogs and Separation Anxiety

My owners have finally figured out that I don't like to be left alone.  I have never liked it, but in the past few years, it affects me more than it did when I was younger.

1. I can't eat anything while they are away


2. I get sick and diarrhea for part of a day when they come home

If you think your dog is just an animal that doesn't have feelings, you are wrong, we get very attached to our families, and think of all of you as our "pack" and when someone is missing from the group, we feel it.  We love our owners, and want to be with them.

Last week was one of those times when everything just wasn't right, one of my owners got sick, so the whole "pack", except me, went with him to the hospital...police came, medics came, and so did an ambulance.  I could sense the nervousness and anxiety they were feeling, and it made me sick, too.   Usually they leave some peaceful music on for me, but they forgot.

Things have quieted down now, everyone is home, and so far everyone seems well.  I'm happy and playing again, but do want you to know that you have to remember us, too, if you can...when things are going rough...we feel it too.

Other Related Posts:

Is Your Dog Stressed Out?

Is Your Dog Afraid of Fireworks?

Stop Your Begging Dog

I'm not very excited about my owner sharing this article with you, I'm the "queen" of begging, and she says she thinks she's guilty of thinking my begging is cute...it may be too late for me (I hope) but not for your dog.  Enjoy the article and let us know if it helps.

Your Dog’s Behavior:

Why You Should Never Let Your Dog Beg For Food & Attention

By: Kelly Marshall

Unless they are trained not to do so, most dogs will form the habit of begging for attention and food. Some dog owners actually allow this behavior and think it s cute…not. Many people get extremely annoyed very quickly when their dog begins to beg every time he wants love, attention, and especially when he smells something delicious coming from your kitchen.

What is wrong with a begging dog?

Everything! Begging is another form of demanding and it gives your dog an aspect of control within the family pack . I describe a family as a pack because that is exactly how your dog sees it. While it may seem cute when Rex rolls over on his back expecting a belly rub every time you enter the room, or just sits all teary eyed staring straight at your hero sandwich when you re eating during the Super Bowl game, this behavior has the possibility to gain momentum and become hostile.

Just how hostile can a dog actually become?

If you do not think that your dog could ever actually bite your hand because he expects you to give him a fun snack every time he begs, think again. For years a friend of mine would hand feed his dog pieces of food at any time of the day he was eating. If it were breakfast, his dog would get a two pieces of toast. At lunch time my friend would hand feed his dog a few bites of his Rueben sandwich. The same went for super.

Months later, his dog matured and grew larger, and my friend did not realize that he was reinforcing a dominant leadership role into his dog every time he gave in to begging. Once he decided to alter this behavior with his dog, he learned very fast just how dangerous the situation was. At one of his meals, my friend refused to feed his dog anything and the begging and crying turned into hostile barking. Then without suddenly his dog jumped up onto his plate and snapped at his cheeseburger, taking a little bit of my friend’s finger along with it.

Begging can be eliminated with proper training

The example of my friend may seem a bit extreme and you still probably could never imagine you re cute dog biting you in the attempt to get a meal that he was wanting. This can develop into a real problem and you must start early in your dog’s life with instilling the rules when it comes to begging.

During meal time, you need to train your dog to sit and stay in a separate area when the family is eating food. This may take some time but eventually he will remain in a sit position until after your dinner is over and then of course you should praise his actions by offering him up a delicious meal that he can eat in his “own” food bowl, and only after everybody else is finished eating their meal.

Author Resource:-> Written by Kelly Marshall of http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/elevated-dog-feeders Oh My Dog Supplies - your source for luxury http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-carriers dog carriers online

Article From Selling With Articles

I've Been Lazy Lately, But I'm Back

Actually, I'm being nice...my owner has been lazy, she's the one that does my typing for me, and she's been busy doing other things.  It has been hard enough to get her to take me for my walks, give me my snacks and give me my "tummy rubs" lately, and getting her to type for me has been impossible.

Oh don't worry, she hasn't totally ignored me.  The weather is nice now, and sometimes she just wants to be outside, so we've been taking walks more.  Other times she lets me run around the yard while she watches, because she knows I'll sneak next door or run out in the road if I see a cat or something fun to chase.  We have bears around here, too, so she does have to keep a close eye on me just because she loves me.

But we've missed blogging together, so will try to do better, and hope you are having a good summer so far.

How You Can Help Lost and Needy Animals

We're sure sorry we didn't get this post to you last week when the Home Again Web Site was supporting the American Humane Association’s Be Kind to Animals Week® by donating $1 for every pet that was registered to the program, but that sure doesn't mean that bringpetshome.com isn't a site worth visiting.

The site was created as a a fundraising Web site specifically created to help shelter animals.

There are things that you can do to "be kind to animals", including your pet not only on a week set aside to focus on the subject, but every day of every week:

• Make sure your pets are properly identified with something that will last, that will not get lost, and is easy to read.


• With hot months coming to parts of the US where seasons change, PLEASE DO NOT leave your pet out in the car with windows closed.  This is a thought that gives my owner and I nightmares!


• If you leave your dog out for long periods of time in warm weather, make sure they have a shady spot to rest...and not just an enclosed doghouse, they can get warm inside if they are in direct sun, but if it's not terribly hot, are better than nothing.  If it's very hot, keep you pet inside where it's cool...treat them like you'd treat yourself.


• Also, if outside provide water to drink during the day.


• PLEASE make sure that your pets are protected from fleas and ticks.

You can find many things to help you protect and care for your pet at bringpetshome.com and when you purchase, you are benefiting animals in need, animals that are living in shelters waiting for someone to bring them home and give them love.  It doesn't cost you anything extra with your purchase to provide food and medical care to needy animals.

Did you know that  HomeAgain.com has helped recover more than 500,000 lost pets? They provide a pet-recovery service that goes beyond microchipping, which, by the way, is an excellent way to protect your pet from getting lost.  For a reasonable yearly fee, you have access to pet-recovery specialists and emergency medical assistance 24/7...the program also includes up to $3,000 (- $50 deductible) in medical insurance for lost pets, and more.

Please do visit my sponsors site for so many more wonderful details!

Attended My First Twitter #pawpawty

Today when my owner was on her twitter account, we noticed that #pawpawty was in the list of trending topics (visit the twitter link to learn more about twitter if you're clueless) and so she decided to let me twitter.  We do that a lot lately.  She changes her picture to mine, and I tell her what to type for me.  Today I'll be taking over for the day since it's a monthly "PawPawty" day.

This is a special day that takes place once a month, here is the information that someone shared on www.examiner.com explaining the event:

So far, these fund raising virtual parties have raised more than $5,000 for organizations such as The Humane Society, Kitten Rescue of Los Angeles and Orphans of the Storm in Illinois. The next pawpawty is scheduled for May 2-3 to benefit the Margaret Green Animal Rescue.

For each pawparty, a theme is chosen and "party-goers" are encouraged to change their Twitter default pictures to something theme-related (see the slideshow below for some cute examples). Prizes are given away for various contests such as trivia and scavenger hunts – all the while people are encouraged to donate even just $1 to the featured charity.

Who can attend the #pawpawty?

The pawpawties are open to anyone with an interest in raising money and getting the word out to friends about the fund raising efforts. Many of the party-goers are animals, or people who tweet as their pets. There are thousands of Twitter Critters online, ranging from dogs and cats to hamsters, gerbils and even a moose!

It is not necessary to be an "animal" to attend these virtual fundraisers, however. Everyone is welcome – the more attendees, the more opportunity to raise as much money as possible for animal charities.

If you decide to join in, be sure to follow us and say hi, I share my owner's account and we trade off regularly - http://twitter.com/happynutrition.  And if you click on this #pawpawty link, you'll be taken just to the search results for pawpawty, and see only the "tweets" related to the event. See you there, I hope!

Grooming Your Own Yorkie Dog

I've been thinking about how nice it would be if my owner would get around to clipping the hair around my eyes, and my nails. She gave me a bath and trimmed most of my hair about a week ago. She gets a little nervous with the scissors around the eyes, so I'm trying to get her to look into the Yorkie grooming instructions provided by clicking here, especially since this is specifically about grooming Yorkies, right down to the littlest detail, and because the Yorkie in the picture at the site looks just like me!

And for some more grooming information, let me remind you about some of the posts we have already written on this blog:

1. Cleaning a dog's teeth - this was an article we found that tells you how to clean your dogs teeth, and how important it is.  We posted it back when I was having tooth problems.


2. How my owner groomed me - this post is from almost a year ago, we share in simple terms how I was groomed, but not with the great detail you'll find in this yorkie grooming instructional resource.


3. Clipping your dogs nails - here's another page that we did that you should find helpful, my nails are quite long now, and need trimming.


4. Not grooming may cause ear infections - this is about ear infections, but has some information about how not grooming the ears properly can lead to infected ears in dogs.

Those are just a few things that we hope will help you, and now it's time for us to stop blogging so I can beg for treats and then my owner can try to start working on some quilting.

Next Week It's My Turn on Twitter

On friday my owner does something called "followfriday", that means you suggest people that you know and like to other "followers" on Twitter.  You do that by sending a message that has this word and symbol - #followfriday in your "tweet" and then you put the user names of people who follow you in the "tweet" with @ in front of it, for example, my owner is @happynutrition.

NEXT WEEK we are going to tweet about our dog and pet loving followers on "follow friday" so if you aren't following us yet, please do!  Click here to follow me and my owner, I share my owner's account.

My Owner Sent This Cute Video

My geeky owners send emails to each other and chat with each other when one of them is at work, and today a really cute one came, it's even more than cute, it's really nice and something that you'll probably never see unless you watch this video:

Dog Breeds - Dalmatian

The Dalmatian has been made popular with children because of the Disney movie, "101 Dalmatians".  

Their association with Fire Stations comes from various bits of information, including their help in chasing rats from fire stations in England, to training them to guide the horse-drawn fire wagons through the streets, while protecting the horses from stray dogs that would attack them. How much of this is fact, and how much fiction, I don't know, but since the origin of the breed is in Europe, it sounds likely. 

Following is an article with more information about the breed written by Kelly Marshall.

Of all the dogs, the Dalmatian is easily spotted by its characteristic black spotted features. How these black spots evolved remains a puzzle. The Dalmatian is a European breed, first discovered in Western Yugoslavia. In the USA the Dalmatian was first introduced about 120 years ago and still remains one of the most popular dogs as a pet.

One of the great features of the Dalmatian is its energy level and ability to exercise for long duration. The Dalmatian is not a pet for a small apartment because it needs a lot of room. Training this dog is not difficult but does require a great deal of patience. Training can be difficult at times because the dog often tends to become stubborn. While the Dalmatian does make a great pet dog, it often does get ill tempered with other dogs. Ironically, it is quite friendly with other animals like cats and even horses. For those families with children, the Dalmatian should not be the first pet as it is full of energy and though not intentional, it can be a little rough with small children. However, if the dog is well trained it can make a great loving pet. Despite its size and energy, the dog will rarely harm a child or the owner.

Upkeep and Maintenance

The Dalmatian is one dog that needs regular exercise and thus, it is more suited for people who are active. Simply taking the Dalmatian out to poop will not be adequate as it prefers to go for long outdoor runs. The majority of Dalmatian owners indicate that it makes a great jogging companion. When you first buy the Dalmatian as a puppy it will gladly live in the apartment, but as soon as it grows, it will let you know where it wants to go. Throwing a ball in the park is another way to provide exercise for them as well.

The Dalmatian prefers the cool temperate weather more so than the hot humid climate. When outside, one has to make sure that it is provided with lots of water and a shade to rest under. The dog does tend to become attached to humans and loves people company. Even though the Dalmatian loves the outdoors, it also prefers to be with humans once inside the home.

Health Information

While the Dalmatian generally is disease free, it does suffer from deafness with age. Other common medical ailments that may afflict the dog include an under active thyroid gland, allergies, visual problems and seizures. While CHD has been reported, it is very rare and no where near as common as what occurs in Rottweilers. All Dalmatian owners are recommended that the dog be checked regularly by a veterinarian to screen for the above mentioned health problems

The majority of pet dalmatians live at least 12-15 years. There are even reports of some Dalmatians living a lot longer. While comparisons are difficult, the dog can be as loving and gentle as a Labrador when it is well trained.

About the Author: Article by Kelly Marshall of http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com, your top spot to buy dog coats & jackets online.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Please look under the category "Dog Breeds" below for posts about other dog breeds that are presently available, and will be added over time.

Is Your Dog Stressed Out?

I know I get stressed out sometimes. There are some things that really make me nervous, let me tell you about a few:

• When my owners are upset or nervous about something, I feel nervous too, because I can sense what they are feeling


• I get nervous when I go on trips in the car because I'm afraid my owner is taking me to the groomer


• Thunder...actually I get more mad at thunder than afraid of it, when it thunders, I bark a lot, and sit close to my owner to protect her because she is afraid of it.


• I hate being left all alone at the house, and even though one of my owners doesn't work, sometimes I'm alone for long periods of time, that makes me so nervous that I can't eat.

So what do you do about a nervous dog?  You can ask your veterinarian about medications that might be helpful, or if you want to try something natural, we use a couple of drops of Rescue Remedy. My owner says this is a Bach Flower homeopathic remedy that people use specially formulated for pets.

My owner likes to put on nice peaceful and soothing music just for pets, it helps a lot.

What does your owner do to help you when you're feeling stressed? Maybe you can let us know in a comment.

Traveling With Your Dog

Traveling with a dog can be challenging, that is why some people like to put their dogs in kennels when they go away.  I used to like to travel with my owners when I was younger. They have a dog carrier that they can put me in to carry me around, a lot like a big pocket book, which is something that is pretty popular in "the City".

One of the big challenges is finding hotels that will let you have your pet with you when you travel.  We thought we'd take a look and see what we could find in New York, so went to HotelsCombined.com, then we went down and "clicked" on the "New York" link in the box. A long list of hotels in New York appeared, and under the name of each, there is a link that says "Hotel Features". When you click on it there is a list of features, including "pets allowed", if the words have a line through them, then pets are not allowed.

For example, we went to the very first hotel listed, Excelsior Hotel New York, and pets were not allowed, but we saw a few that did allow pets. You can sort the list by price, but be careful of the less expensive ones, make sure they have good reviews. I am not as good at traveling as my friend at Travels with Bob who talks about staying at The Comfort Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas, but it's good to know that there's a place like hotelscombined.com to search for hotels that will let you bring your pets.

Maybe I'll have some more travel tips for you soon, you can also "click" on the "Yorkie Travel" or "Travels" category and see what comes up!

Look at Poor Punxsutawney Phil, Ground Hog Day

Look at poor Punxsutawney Phil, I don't think I'd be very happy having such and...ummm...undignified picture of me published. You can see cuter ones at his website by clicking his name above.  I think this picture came from the Associated Press and I hope they don't mind a little Yorkie using the picture on her blog.

Even though P. Phil is the most popular Ground Hog today, there are other ground hogs out there who either did, or did not see their shadows, so my owner and I decided that Ground Hog Day must be a regional thing.  When Spring will come depends upon the ground hog that lives closest to you.  What do you think?

Here's what we've been able to pick up from ground hogs around the USA, at least on the Eastern part of the country:

• If you live near Punxsutawney, PA, Phil saw his shadow, so you are probably going to have 6 more weeks of winter


• The brave Ground Hog who makes his home in the Big Apple, New York City, supposedly didn't see his shadow, so just maybe in our area, Spring will come sooner.


• The Marion, Ohio ground hog DID see his shadow, so 6 more weeks of winter there.


• Down in Atlanta, Georgia, no shadow was seen, so in that region there will be an early spring....as if Spring isn't already early enough for you folks down there in the southern states:-)

All I know is I'm getting tired of barking at snow...yes, I bark whenever I look out the window and see that it's snowing,  so Spring can't come soon enough for me (or anyone who has to listen to me.)

Things Dogs Should Never Eat

My owner visits a network of other humans that like to talk about all kinds of things.  The other day a woman named Kimberlee Leonard started a discussion with a story about her dog, Chewie, and from the story you can learn a valuable lesson about what dogs should and should not eat.  Here is some of what she shared:

Being a dog owner my entire life and having Chewie for nearly 14 years, I thought I had been through most anything regarding dogs....

Over the years I have learned onions can cause issues with their white blood cell count, grapes and raisins in small quantities can cause renal failure, and chocolate is fine for my PMS but