That's Fit

It's clear what kinds of foods are bad for us. Anything loaded with sugar, trans fats, and sodium for starters. But do you know what kinds of foods are bad for pets? Think human foods, not pet foods.

It's best to stick with pet foods for the nourishment of your beloved pup. But it's tempting to treat your furry friend to a little table food now and then. And that's what many people do. In 2007, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center received more than 130,000 calls regarding animal poisoning caused by common human foods and household items. Here are the top culprits.

• Avocados

• Beer

• Chocolate

• Candy

• Caffeine

• Grapes and raisins

• Nuts

• Onions

Actually, they are. Green potatoes contain a toxic substance called solanine that nature intended as a defense against insects, but unfortunately it's also effective against humans and can cause nausea, headaches, and neurological problems if eaten in large enough quantities. Generally speaking the average adult would need to eat an entire large (16 oz) fully green potato in order to notice any symptoms, so although it is there the threat isn't that large. Solanine develops in potatoes when they are exposed to light and warm temperatures, so you can easily avoid the issue by storing your spuds in a cool dark place, and by cutting off any green spots before you eat them.

If you've got some camping trips planned this summer, like maybe for the 4th of July holiday coming up, it's very possible you (or a loved one or a pet) will come across some poison ivy on your hikes in the forest or hunts for firewood. Every year between 25 and 40 million Americans suffer the famous itchiness and rash caused by the oil from the poison ivy plant -- to stumble on a patch is one of the oldest camping mishaps in the book.

Dealing with it if you are unlucky enough to need to is mostly about soothing the symptoms and not making them worse. See this article for a list of helpful tips, like washing the affected area with cool water as soon as possible and refraining from itching.

Merck has stopped promoting the mandatory use of Gardasil that targets the human papillomavirus (HPV). It's probably no coincidence that their turn-around comes at the same time that reports from the National Vaccine Information Center are surfacing about fainting and dizziness reported by dozens of patients as side effects of Gardasil. There are also some concerns that Gardasil may cause infertility.

An early version of the Virginia house bill contained a clause addressing liability issues "if a female who is inoculated with the HPV vaccine becomes incapable of naturally conceiving a healthy child carried to live birth or experiences impaired fertility as a result of the HPV vaccine".

Legislators got that idea because the vaccine contains Polysorbate 80, which is linked to infertility in mice. The Merck HPV vaccine also contains sodium borate which is a common roach killer in each of its three doses. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the National Institutes of Health notes of sodium borate that it "is now known to be a dangerous poison, it is no longer commonly used in medical preparations." That was published in 2005. Yet the FDA in 2006 approved the Merck vaccine with this "dangerous poison" to be "commonly used" in these vaccinations. The symptoms of sodium borate poisoning according to the NLM citation include many of the side effects being reported after less than six months of the vaccine usage. These include convulsions, collapse, and seizures that include twitching of facial muscles, arms, hands, legs, and feet.

How many of these young women taking this vaccine will find out that they are barren 10 to 15 years down the road and what will their options be if they are forced to take this drug because of legislation mandates?