Welcome back to the Eagle Animal Hospital blog! If you read parts one and two of this blog series, you’ve already learned many useful pet safety tips for the holidays. If you’re just now joining us, you may want to read parts one and two before reading our conclusion in today’s post. In our recent posts, we went over the following pet safety tips regarding:
- Seasonal plant and trees
- Holiday decorations including ornaments, tinsel, garland, and candles
- Festive celebrations and get togethers
- Adult beverages
Today, we will look at pet safety tips that focus on one of our favorite things: holiday foods and sweets. Please continue reading to learn more.
Savory Foods
There’s nothing that makes the holidays more special than getting together with friends and family members to share stories and create new memories over delectable holiday feasts. The trouble for pet parents is, their pups often want to partake in all the savory foods that fill the home with enticing aromas. For us humans, it’s hard to comprehend what a dog experiences as their sensory receptors go into overdrive with these delightful smells. And while we as pet owners can be tempted by their sweet, puppy dog eyes to give them a taste of our meals, we must resist the urge to give in! Here’s why:
- Turkey, ham, and all the trimmings are jam-packed with seasonings, fats, and other tasty ingredients which are hard on our pets’ stomachs. These can cause all sorts of gastrointestinal issues that may include vomiting, diarrhea, toxicity, and even death.
- Turkey and chicken bones are incredibly hazardous to pets because not only are they choking hazards, they can also tear the linings in their digestive tracts. Keep bones of any kind away from your dogs and cats, and dispose of them in a secure outdoor trash can.
- While holiday favorite veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes (cooked and unseasoned), green beans make a great snack for dogs, others like avocados, onions, and garlic are highly toxic to dogs. Onion and garlic, in particular, are common ingredients in many holiday dishes, so avoid feeding your pup any scraps from the table, just to be safe.
Holiday Sweet Treats
The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without baking all the best sweets and setting out chocolates in decorative bowls. The trouble with sweet treats is that these are terrible for both dogs and cats.
- Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, as most of you are probably aware, is toxic to pets. And like chocolate, any sweets that contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener, may also cause your pet to experience digestive problems that are both painful and messy. Keep all candy bowls and sweets out of reach so your pets can’t sneak a piece (or several pieces).
- Baked goods can also be extremely dangerous for pets. If your pup consumes raw dough, it tends to expand in their stomachs and digestive tract, which has a devastating effect on their body. Don’t leave dough unattended on countertops.
- If you’re preparing a fruit dish, avoid feeding your dog grapes and cherries. Other fruits like blueberries, strawberries, apples, peaches, and bananas are healthy, yummy snacks for pups. Just make sure to remove the apple seeds and peach pits before giving them to your dog, as these both contain cyanide that is poisonous to pets.
Contact Our Animal Care Team
This concludes our blog series that has offered tips for keeping your furry family members healthy and safe during the holidays. In the unfortunate event that your pet ingests anything toxic, please call Eagle Animal Hospital in Kansas City immediately and bring them in right away. The health and wellbeing of your pet is priority. From all of us at Eagle, we wish you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday!