Thursday, September 16, 2021

What I Learned... About Dogs Eating Raisins (dried grapes)

 Cashew loves to eat. Eat, eat, and eat. He likes everything from green bell peppers to watermelon (and everything in between). Well, he discovered something else he likes to eat... raisins. Craig mistakenly gave him raisins from the trail mix he was eating. I looked up and asked Craig what Cashew is eating. He said raisins. “No! You're not supposed to give him raisins,” I exclaimed. Well, too late.

                                                                            Cashew

I went to research how bad raisins are for dogs. This is what I found:

  1. Some dogs can eat raisins with no problems.            

    The Culprit - Those Darn Raisins

  2. Some dogs can eat a small amount and die of kidney disease or kidney failure.

  3. Researchers don't know why.

  4. One raisin, few raisins, small dog, big dog... there are no constants between dogs when it comes to who is affected and how.

  5. Symptoms can include: vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, dehydration, diarrhea, abdominal tenderness, increased thirst, decreased urination or not urinating, and ammonia smelling breath. Signs could show up 24 to 36 hours later.

I tried calling poison control. Here are the numbers:

Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435

I called the ASPCA line and it took about 45 minutes for them to answer. Way too long. It would've been better to take him to the emergency vet instead. They will give you a case number. You can call back after you have the case number and get through much faster (only a few minutes). Cost was $75 for the call.

I was given instructions on how to induce vomiting with 3% hydrogen peroxide and peanut butter. MAKE SURE YOUR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS 3% ONLY. The peroxide you use to color your hair is TOXIC. 3 % hydrogen peroxide is the stuff used to clean wounds. Read the label carefully. The peroxide has to be active. Pour a little in your sink. If it bubbles, then it's active. Cashew's dose was 1 Tablespoon 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 tsp peanut butter, smeared on a plate. Cashew was supposed to lick it off the plate. This kind of worked the first time. The second time, he was being difficult. He didn't want anything to do with the peroxide. I syringe fed it to him with coconut yogurt, instead of the peanut butter.

Poison control told me that I could try this method TWICE ONLY. If done any more times, it could harm the animal. So, don't do it more than twice. Well, some dogs have an iron stomach, like Cashew. No vomiting.

In the meantime, my friends, Liz and Curt, were helping me get information. Thank you both!!! They contacted the emergency vet's office in my area and found that I could take Cashew in. With COVID, there has been a shortage of vet techs and appointments are hard to come by. I was lucky, that All Creatures in Newhall could accommodate us. They charged $100 for the emergency visit (not too outrageous).

I packed up the pups and off to All Creatures. Toby & Suzie went along for emotional support. But they ended up being disturbed. They thought they were going to see the doctor.

Once we arrived, they took Cashew to the back and induced vomiting. They found 5 whole raisins and 1 partial raisin. Craig said he ate around 5 raisins. Unfortunately, it was 4 hours later, so Cashew may have ingested some. The vet wanted to keep Cashew overnight for observation and hook him up to a drip to keep him hydrated. The bill was up to $180 for the office visit and inducing vomit. He looked fine, so I opted out and took him home. It was a long night (remember I'm a nervous doggie mom). Cashew slept and woke up the next morning fine. Same ole self, full of life with tons of personality.

It was recommended by poison control and the emergency vet to take Cashew to get blood work the next day. I found a vet's office that would do a walk in. Little Paws Dog and Cat Hospital to the rescue. I packed up the pups and got there at 2 pm, as instructed (not exactly 2, but in reality it was more like 2:30). We waited outside until after 5 pm. Thankfully, we walked around and around. It would've been a nightmare if we were stuck in the office the entire time.

They took Cashew's blood and the vet showed us the results. They have an in office testing facility, so the results were in quick. Yeah!!! His readings were all fine. We dodged a bullet. The visit was $55 and the blood work was about $125. This has become an expensive mistake. But, the important thing is that Cashew is fine.

Learn from my mistakes.

  1. It is best to get the raisins out in less than an hour after ingestion. Easier on the dog and your pocketbook. Won't have to go through a stressful night.

  2. I need to put up a foods that are toxic to dogs chart on the frig. Include where these foods might be found. (i.e. raisins in trail mix, breakfast cereal, cinnamon rolls, stuffing, etc.)

  3. Poison control may take a long time to answer (but I may have hit a busy time). Some dogs won't vomit and need to be taken in to the vet to induce vomiting. It would've been better to have gotten Cashew to All Creatures right away.

  4. Have a list of emergency vets on hand. I knew about All Creatures, but was hesitant to take Cashew there. They had their license revoked recently, but it was reinstated. They did a fine job with Cashew that night.

  5. Have poison control's number on hand. 911 won't help you, since it's not a human emergency.

  6. Cost to induce vomiting at All Creatures $190. Total cost because I acted too slow $455.

Cashew survived the raisin ordeal. Thankfully, he never showed signs of kidney damage. The entire time and to this day, he is full of energy and active. Didn't miss a step. He was lucky that either he's not affected by raisins or the vet was able to get almost all of the raisins out.

Remember - I'm not a doctor or a medical practitioner, so contact your vet, fact check me, and research, research, research.  Just wanted to get the story out, so it may help someone.  

Note: I called my herbalist. He told me I could've done this Korean technique he had learned in Korea. He said it would make him poop out the raisins right away. The technique works on dogs with seizures too. I told my herbalist to video himself performing the technique, so everyone could see it done properly. I'm hoping he'll tape it soon. Until then, I'd like to find out more about the technique. I'll let you in on it when I find something.  xxx ooo

Monday, August 13, 2018

Recommendations - Meat Alternatives

I felt like I needed to get this blog going again.  I wanted to start with some of my go-to products. to help new vegans, veg-friendly folks, or those looking for a healthier, more compassionate, and environmental alternative to meat.

There are so many plant-based meat substitutes available today, so I decided to start with a simple one... ground beef.  Remember that there's no cholesterol, anti-biotics, hormones, or those other nasties that you find in meat.  Is that reason enough to give'em a try?  

Some are spot on, while others have undertones of soy (or other flavors) or non-meat like textures (too soft).  I've decided to put together a list with tips on preparation.  Here ya' go!!!

Ground Beef



My all time favorite is Trader Joe's Beefless Ground Beef (BGB).  The texture is great and with spices and other touches you can get pretty darn close to ground beef.  Use it in pasta sauces, mix it with your taco seasoning, use it for your chili sin carne, make a meatloaf or meatballs, pretty much anywhere you'd use ground beef.  Hamburger Helper vegan-style anyone???  

Pan fry the BGB with a lightly oiled pan.  Throw in some garlic, or onions. (It's a good idea to pan fry the others brands too)



If you don't live near a TJ's, here's a list of some other brands.  Some I've tried and others I don't remember or haven't tried them.  That doesn't mean they're not good. Everyone has their own tastes, so don't give up.  You can try them all!!!



Tofurky Meatless Ground Beef:  I like Tofurky Deli Slices, so this one would be my next choice to try.  I haven't tried them, so give me your opinion.










Lightlife Smart Ground:  I have probably tried Smart Ground before, but after finding my love (TJ's BGB)… I don't remember much.











Gardein The Ultimate Beefless Ground:  I don't believe I've tried it, but lots of people swear by Gardein products.










Beyond Meat Beefless Crumbles:    These Beefless Crumbles are made with pea protein.  They're a little healthier version, but the texture and taste are not quite as good as TJ's.  







































































Thursday, September 8, 2016

Cyn-Fully Delicious is happy to announce that we will be opening a storefront in the northern Los Angeles area in October.  We are currently looking for a pastry chef / baker to share the location.  If you're interested, please contact us.  Stay tuned for our new menu.
#VeganRestaurantSantaClarita

Friday, July 1, 2016

7th Annual Northeast LA Concert & Fireworks with Cyn-Fully Delicious

Happy 4th!!!  

If you haven't made plans yet, stop by Eagle Rock's 7th Annual Northeast LA Concert & Fireworks, held on July 3, 2016.  Fun! Fireworks! Music! ,...and Vegan Food!  The event is free to the public with a moon bounce, community booths, food vendors and rock climbing.  Musical entertainment by The Spazmatics! 

Cyn-Fully Delicious will be selling their signature coral sushi roll combo plate.  Where Japanese tradition merges with tasty vegan flair.  Our coral roll starts with fresh veggies and our special blend of "white fish" and "lobster". We mix in a our cool-as-a cucumber roll to make a summertime hit.  

Concert begins at 5 pmFireworks Show at sunset.

Eagle Rock Recreation Center, 1100 Eagle Vista Dr, Los Angeles, California 90041
Hosted by Jose Huizar

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Cyn-Fully Delicious at the Animal Rights Conference

Learning ways to help animals, becoming inspired, meeting new friends and networking at the Animal Rights ConferenceSheraton Gateway Hotel - 6101 West Century Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90045. That's what it's all about.  When you're ready to take a break, try some of
Cyn-Fully Delicious' great menu items.

Signature Coral Sushi Roll

We'll be serving up our signature coral sushi roll combo.  Traditional Japanese-style sushi with a twist.  Vegan "crab" & "white fish" with fresh veggies in a big ole roll.  Then our cool-as-a-cucumber roll completes the combo.  Grandma Kimura would give her seal-of-approval.  

In the mood for a good ole time fave... our sweet-tangy sloppy joes.  Wait a minute... this ain't mama's sloppy joes.  No way!  This is a sloppy joe on steroids.  Pow!!!

When snack-time rolls around, you'll be searchin' for some ooey-gooey goodness.  Yep!  Nachos vegan-style.  Make sure to kick it up with jalapenos.  

Check back as we add more to our menu.  

Monday, May 16, 2016

Cyn-Fully Delicious - Available for Catering Your Event

Cyn-Fully Delicious

Devilishly Good / Crossover Vegan Food

Catering

If you're lucky enough to live in the Los Angeles area, you’ve seen us at various events around town.  Now you don’t have to wait for our next event to eat some of our scrumptious vegan dishes.  Whether you’re interested in our Tacos al Carbon, Authentic Japanese Sushi Platters, Good Ol’ Fashioned Sloppy Joe’s, Cookie Platters, or any array of our fabulous selections.  We have something to fit your needs… and the best part is it’s all VEGAN.  Hire us for your next event, meeting, or party.  We can work with your budget.  

Classes / Parties

We’ve been asked how we do it… How do we get our vegan dishes to taste so close to their meat-based counter-parts.  You’re in luck!  We’re giving away some of our secrets.  Learn how to substitute vegan ingredients to recreate your favorite dishes?  Ever wanted to learn how to roll sushi?  Have a pizza party?  We make it fun!  Parties!  Date Night!  Company Morale Boosters! 
We’d love to share our knowledge with you.   

Contact us for our classes and parties.

Contact:
Cynthia Kimura
Ckimura.xms@gmail.com

#vegancateringlosangeles

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Cyn-Fully Delicious at The Vegan Faire

Been craving some knock-out vegan food?  Check out the 2nd Annual Vegan Faire, coming to you on July 25th at the Center Street Promenade in Anaheim.  Music, food, fun!!!

Vegan White-Fish / Lobster Sushi Roll
Cyn-Fully Delicious will be serving our fusion sushi.  Where tradition meets modern vegan.  How about our signature vegan white-fish / lobster sushi roll.  Grandma Kimura's traditional Japanese secret recipe, used in her sushi-ya in Chicago, is incorporated in our sushi rolls.   

Leave enough room to taste some of the delish vegan food from favorites like Doomie's Home Cookin', Southern Fried Vegan, Ihsan's Falafels, Healthy Junk, Vegan Pizza and so many more.  Don't forget dessert, Divine Dips will be serving vegan ice cream... yum!

See ya there!!!