Some Health Issues of note:

Xylitol is Deadly
Toxic Cocoa Mulch
Gastroenteritis
Kennel Cough
Raisins and Grapes Can Be Toxic

Artificial Sweetener Xylitol is Deadly The San Francisco Chronicle had a story about the dangers of dogs eating anything with the sweetener xylitol in it. The story said: Because dogs love sweets and can sniff out food better than almost any other mammal, dogs owners need to be extremely careful to keep xylitol out of dogs' reach. Start by reading the labels on everything you buy. If a product contains the sweetener, treat it like a prescription medication and keep it where your dog can't possibly get to it. If you buy or make anything that contains xylitol, make sure family members are aware of it and don't feed their leftover sweets to the family dog... The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is available for any animal poison-related emergency 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435. The consultation fee is $60. Toxic Cocoa Mulch Not only is chocolate toxic to dogs, but also mulch made from cocoa is bad for dogs. See the Snopes article for more details. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis Dogs of all ages and breeds can be affected by hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Young adult dogs of toy and miniature breeds, especially schnauzers and poodles, may be affected more frequently. There are many causes for bloody diarrhea and vomiting in dogs. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, or HGE, refers to a specific syndrome usually seen in young adult dogs of the toy and miniature breeds. In HGE, fever is usually not present, and the main laboratory abnormality is a marked elevation of the hematocrit (concentration of blood cells) due to fluid shifts and intestinal fluid loss. There is no diagnostic test that confirms the presence of HGE. Its diagnosis is made mainly on clinical grounds. Just as there is no unique diagnostic test for HGE, there is no established cause for the illness. Treatment is similar as that for other causes of vomiting and bloody diarrhea in dogs. However, relatively large amounts of fluid are usually needed to replace the fluid lost into the intestinal tract, and to reverse shock, if present. Antibiotics are also given because bacteria may play a role in causing HGE. Although the signs are sudden and severe, and some dogs do not survive, most animals with HGE recover fully with prompt treatment. Recurrences are possible in an individual dog, but they are not common. Prompt veterinary attention is vital for any dog with severe gastrointestinal signs and depression, whether due to HGE or other causes. Help Stamp Out Kennel Cough! Did you know that kennel cough is a highly contagious airborne illness for dogs? Kennel Cough can occur in any place that gets a lot of dogs: a kennel, groomers, your vet, or at the dog park. The illness is BOTH a bacteria and a virus. It is transferred from dog to dog by sneezing or coughing (or sharing tennis balls!) Be aware that vaccinating with just the commercial Kennel Cough vaccine alone (contains only the Bordetella agent) may not be fully protective because of the other infectious agents that are involved with producing the disease. Some of the other agents such as Parainfluenza and Adenovirus are part of the routine vaccinations generally given yearly to dogs. The intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine may produce immunity slightly faster than the injectible vaccine. Kennel Cough can be severe and for some dogs, such as older dogs, severe cases can progress into pneumonia. SIGNS OF KENNEL COUGH Your dog is coughing; kennel cough often sounds like a goose honk. It is a dry hacking type of cough. Some dogs after coughing will gag or retch and then cough up a white foam. The cough will be triggered by any extra activity or exercise. Many dogs that acquire Kennel Cough will cough every few minutes, all day long. Otherwise your dog will feel fine, they wont have a fever, they should eat and sleep normally with the same energy level. INCUBATION PERIOD Normal incubation period after exposure is about 3-7 days TREATMENT A mild case will usually run its course in 10 days to 2 weeks. If you take your dog to the vet the vet can proscribe antibiotics to help treat the bacteria side of the illness which will help speed up the recovery. Your vet can also prescribe a cough suppressant which can aid in recovery as well. It is always a good idea, though, to have any dog examined if coughing is noticed because some very serious respiratory diseases such as Blastomycosis, Valley Fever, Heartworms and even cardiac disease might display similar sounding coughing. PLEASE BE PROACTIVE If you think your dog is sick please do not bring them into the park and into contact with other dogs.