Trailblazing Unleashed

As an adventurer with Celiac Disease, choosing a trail snack can be tricky, but not impossible! One of my tried and true favorites is trail mix. With a mix of nuts, fruits, and chocolate, what’s not to love? You have your protein, fiber, and sweet treat all in one.

Well my friends, here is a story about why you should consider your trail mix options a bit more.

A little over a month ago, I was just starting to get used to having Trace in the house. I had moved all my furniture to accommodate his zoomies, added steps to my bed, and tucked his crate in a cozy corner of my room. One night, I was heading to the bathroom. Trace had been doing so well that day that I decided not to put him in his kennel while I showered.

What’s the worst that could happen right?

How could I have been so wrong? I get out of the shower, and notice a bag of trail mix in the middle of the floor. Half eaten.

Before my shower, I put all the snacks on top of my microwave that sits on my kitchen counter. That is an easy five feet of the ground. Here’s one thing you might not have guessed about Tri-paweds. They can jump with the best of them.

So I’m cleaning up the trail mix, no big deal, until I suddenly realize.

Oh my god are these raisins I’m cleaning up?

For anyone who doesn’t know, raisins are EXTREMELY toxic to dogs.

I call a 24 hour emergency vet. Of course, this had to happen at 1 in the morning. Thank you for that timing Trace. They tell me that ONE raisin per ten pounds of body weight can be deadly for a dog.

So now I’m panicking. I’m grabbing Trace’s leash, throwing a coat over my pjs, and with my car keys in hand start scrambling. I’m terrified for Trace, and I know this is going to be a long night with an even longer bill (apparently this kind of veterinary treatment can cost over FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS).

I run to grab the trail mix so I have something to show the vet when they ask what he ate. As I’m scanning the packaging, I realize.

THERE ARE NO RAISINS IN THIS TRAIL MIX. IT’S ALL CRANBERRIES!

I call the vet back, and learn much to my relief that cranberries are perfectly safe for dogs. After a long conversation with a very kind receptionist, I can finally breathe again.

So the next time you start packing snacks for you next big adventure, do yourself a favor. Check the ingredients for anything that may be toxic to your extra athletic pup. And always secure snacks in places crazy puppies cannot reach!

All of this to say, when given the option of a raisin-related trail snack, always choose the cranberries.

Trailblaze on!

— Kaya, a perfectly healthy Trace, and Skully.