With the holidays upon us, it is important to remember that with the festivities comes delicious holiday foods! For our furry friends, the holidays may come with the opportunity to taste some of these delicious foods. We must be aware, however that some of these foods are not safe for our canine companions.
Below is a list of some of the foods that we should be sure to avoid offering to our dogs.
1. Alcohol
The effects that alcohol has on humans are the same in our dogs, compounded by their significantly smaller size. Be sure to keep any alcohol out of the reach of your dog, as ingestion can result in diarrhea, vomiting, loss of coordination and trouble breathing.
2. Cooked bones
Cooking bones weakens them, and if our dogs ingest cooked bones, they can break and fracture, resulting in sharp fragments that can cause internal injuries.
3. Fatty foods
Fatty foods such as nuts, or fat from turkey, chicken, or beef, can cause severe intestinal upset and pancreatitis. Be sure to only offer plain, unseasoned bits of meat as treats for your pup and avoid the fattier options.
4. Yeast Dough
The yeast in dough can be very dangerous for our animals as it continues to expand and rise even after they eat it. This will distend their stomach and release toxic levels of ethanol into their system.
5. Onions, Grapes, and Chocolate
These foods are all unsafe for our dogs but may appear in our homes at a higher frequency over the holidays! Be sure to avoid giving your dog any tidbits with any of these ingredients inside.
Do your research
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and research with any food item is important before offering any to our pets. Management is key with keeping our pets safe during the holidays. Be sure to utilize heavy-duty, stainless-steel trashcans with a lid so that your dog is unlikely to knock over or otherwise get into the trash. Be cautious about where bags of trash are left, so that your dog is unable to tear into an unattended trash bag. Baby gates can be incredibly helpful management tools, keeping our dogs out of the room as we are preparing food or eating dinner, and reducing risk. If your dog is comfortable while crated, crates can be used similarly for management. Be sure to make this experience positive for your dog, providing them with supervised enrichment items, such as a filled Kong or LickiMat Tuff. Here at Central Bark we wish you a safe and happy holiday season, for you and your four legged family members.
If you believe that your pet may have ingested a poisonous substance, or if you have any questions, contact your local veterinarian or the APCC 24-hour emergency poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435. Read more on Poison Prevention.
