Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, if you’re in the United States, and if you have pets, there are likely to be a lot of tempting smells. Unfortunately, many items can poison dogs and cats with holiday meals. So, here are some things to avoid giving your pets any time, but especially around the holiday
Fatty Foods
Many people indulge in things they may not indulge in over the holidays, particularly rich or fatty foods. But it’s not a good idea to give it to your pets as well.
These types of rich foods can cause pancreatitis in your pets. This can cause diarrhea and vomiting – so enjoy your rich foods but keep them away from your pets.
Chocolate
One of the biggest parts of the holidays is chocolate. But please keep the chocolates away from your pets. Dogs especially love sweets, so chances are that they are going to sniff out any they can find. But a dog or cat eating chocolate can cause diarrhea, muscle tremors, heart failure, and seizures. Who doesn’t snack on sweet treats during the holidays? However, our pets should not be able to get their paws on any chocolate.
Grapes & Raisins
No matter if they’re on your fruit platter as grapes or in fruitcake, you don’t want them to be accessible to your furry friends. They’re toxic for dogs, often leading to kidney failure. Cats aren’t as interested in them but it’s best to keep them out of reach anyway because they also can be harmful.
Garlic & Onions
We’re stepping away from the sweets and now we’re going to the savory. Be careful when using garlic and onions. It can affect your pet's blood cells and lead to anemia.
It’s best to keep any form of either – cooked, raw, chopped, powdered – away from your pet. If you think that your pet consumed any, call the vet immediately.
Bones
You may be tempted to give your dog a bone for them to gnaw on. However, a cooked bone can splinter and cause problems by blocking or lacerating the digestive tract. So, you want to throw away any of your chicken or turkey bones.
Instead of giving them to your pup, throw those leftover turkey or chicken bones in the trash and stick to pet-safe treats.
Alcohol
Never give your dog or cat alcohol. It will depress their nervous system. They also can become drunk, the same way that we do. Alcohol poisoning can lead to low:
- Blood sugar
- Blood pressure
- Body temperature
It can also lead to
- Tremors
- Coma
- Seizures
- Death
This doesn’t just apply to wine and beer, but mixed drinks too. They’re much stronger and they are often made with dairy, like eggnog and White Russians. The dairy makes it more attractive to your pets.
I know, I know. You love your pets and want them to have a nice holiday meal too. But you want them to be happy and healthy too. Keeping these things away from your pets will help them have a healthy holiday and help them be here for next year.