Is Chocolate Poisonous for Dogs?
Chocolate has many health benefits for us, but you’ve probably heard dogs shouldn’t eat it. What makes chocolate poisonous for dogs?
Know your stuff
Holidays
Is Silica Gel Poisonous? It Says Do Not Eat!
Those little packets that come in shoe boxes are labeled “silica gel,” but they don’t feel like gel at all. What is this stuff, and is silica gel poisonous?
Are holly berries poisonous?
If you frequent trendy coffee houses you may be familiar with yerba mate. This popular caffeinated beverage is made from holly’s South American cousin Ilex paraguariensisa. As we all know, just because one member of a family is stimulating, that doesn’t mean another can’t be toxic. But are …
Are poinsettias poisonous?
No. They are not. I was as surprised as anyone to find the poinsettia’s reputation as a snatcher of young lives is undeserved. Why do we all believe it is so dangerous? Almost 100 years ago a child died in Hawaii, and someone said she was poisoned …
Is mistletoe poisonous? Romance and the “dung twig”
Ah, the winter holidays. Pretty trees and lights, eggnog and gifts, and kissing underneath a little sprig of leaves and berries. It’s ever so romantic, but is that mistletoe poisonous? Mistletoe literally means “dung twig,” owing to its usual means of seed dispersal. The mistletoe …
Are those leftovers safe to eat?
Someday you’ll pull something from the fridge and wonder, is this okay to eat? Sometimes the answer is obvious . . . but sometimes it’s not, and that’s because the organisms that cause food to rot and decay are different from the ones that cause illness. In …
Let’s talk turkey (if we must)
Okay, let’s get this out of the way: You can solve a lot of food safety issues by not including meat, eggs or dairy in your Thanksgiving menu. There are several delicious, healthy and readily available alternatives. See below for more info. That being said, …
No snow? Make your own!
Nothing adds to holiday merriment like snow! The white stuff that piles up outside isn’t toxic, but what about the white stuff we bring indoors? Is fake snow poisonous? Spray snow is made up of fats, waxes, plastics and adhesives. The only toxic ingredients are …