Question: Which of the following scenarios represents the most dangerous situation for your dog?

A. In his efforts to extract a pizza box containing a few leftover slices, your black lab, Vacuum, has tipped over the trash can, strewing its contents across the kitchen floor. You're not sure exactly what he has eaten, but he seems content to lick his jowls and digest, dreaming of future garbage forays.B. Your English setter puppy, Ruckus, has climbed the sides of your compost bin and is inside, happily helping the process, digging and rolling in the soft layers. You have to laugh - she looks so funny with coffee grounds all over her body, stuck in her coat.C. You're packing away your winter sweaters and drop the bag of mothballs, which skitter in all directions. Your fetch-crazy German shorthaired pointer, Boomerang, races to pick them up and bring them to you.D. Your eyes are always bigger than your stomach. You push away from the table, unable to finish your beef stroganoff. Spud, your golden retriever, has been drooling as politely as possible while you ate. Ah, what can it hurt? You put your plate on the floor for Spud to clean.E. All of the above.Answer: The answer is E, All of the above.Here's why:A. After a day or two without refrigeration, the pizza cheese can develop mold which would be toxic to dogs. Garbage may include many other items that are poisonous to dogs, such as apple seeds, cigarettes and peach pits.B. Coffee grounds are toxic to dogs.C. Even one ingested moth ball can kill a dog.D. The ingredients in beef stroganoff which are toxic to dogs could include (depending n the recipe) onions, garlic and mushrooms.Other common household items which indiscriminating dogs and puppies may ingest include batteries, pennies, potpourri oils, dish detergent for dishwashers and fabric softener sheets. And forget the image of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, mixing up the "protein shake" by mixing raw eggs and milk. Adding human food to a nutritionally balanced commercial dog food may upset the nutrient balance of your dog's diet.Now, with a few months to go before hunting season, it's a good time to iron out any potential problems in your sporting dog's diet. According to Purina, here are foods to avoid:* Repeatedly adding raw eggs to a dog's diet can cause a deficiency of the vitamin biotin, which can lead to dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), loss of hair and poor growth.* Some raw fish can cause a deficiency of the vitamin thiamine. Signs include anorexia, abnormal posture, weakness, seizures and even death.* Raw meats may contain parasites and bacteria and do not contain a proper balance of nutrients if fed alone. Although meat is a source of protein, it has very low levels of calcium, which is a mineral dogs require for proper bone and tooth development. If large quantities of meat are fed over time, skeletal problems can develop.Yes, before the advent of commercial dog food, owners fed their dogs "human" foods such as meat and various table scraps. But we know more now about the nutritional requirements of dogs, especially working dogs.A nutritionally balanced diet for us requires a variety of foods; a quality dog food has a proper balance of nutrients. A great dog food includes the correct amounts and proportions of nutrients from six groups: water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins. Commercial dog food identified as "100 percent complete and balanced" contain all of these required nutrients.Don't be fooled by the protein percentages proclaimed on some dog foods. Protein level is important, but a more important measuring stick for choosing a dog food is protein digestibility. In other words, how much of that protein can the dog's system use?For example, a dog food which contains 21 percent protein with 85 percent digestibility would deliver an equal amount of protein as a food with 23 percent protein and 78 percent digestibility. The only way to measure digestibility is through controlled feeding studies, and "digestibility" is not listed on dog food labels.So how do you know what food is best? Pet food labeling is regulated at two levels. The United States Food & Drug Administration has set standards for proper identification of product, net quantity, manufacturer's name and address and proper listing of ingredients. Ingredients must be listed in the order of their predominance by weight.The second level is the Association of American Feed Control Officials, with more specific label requirements such as guaranteed analysis, a nutritional adequacy statement, feeding directions and a calorie statement. Claims that a dog food is "complete," "balanced," "100 percent nutritious" or similar statements cannot be made unless the food has been tested and deemed by the AAFCO to meet an established profile for nutritional adequacy.What's the bottom line? If you think dog food labels are confusing, try reading the label on your cereal box. And if reading one dog food label is confusing, it's even harder to compare a myriad of dog food labels and make a choice.The first three to five ingredients are most important, and ingredients are listed in descending order, with the first being the majority ingredient. The first ingredient should be a protein source such as chicken. In the next ingredients, look for a high-quality starch such as brown rice and also look for a high-quality source for dietary fat.High on your list of values for making a choice is to consider the reputation of the manufacturer. Savvy pet owners can contact the various pet food companies to get more specific information on the byproducts used in their ingredient list.Taken a step up to better dog food quality? Now you're almost there. Take a few extra steps to ensure that your dog doesn't have access to substances which could be dangerous, and you'll be well on your way to having a healthy dog, ready and able to join you in the field.