The holidays are about sharing time with our loved ones. And for many of us, our loved ones include a few furry friends. As much as we want to share our celebrations with our pets, there are many dangers afoot in typical holiday fare. Watch out for these top holiday foods that can be poisonous to your pets.
Holiday Meats & Bones
I know, your Christmas ham is delicious. And I know Fido is staring at your plate, longingly. But cured meats are high in sodium, which can be extremely hard on your pet’s digestive system, and fat, which can cause pancreatitis. And as for those turkey bones, cooked poultry bones can splinter and cause punctures in your pet’s stomach, intestine and bowel. Unless you plan on de-boning your turkey before you cook it, best to leave the bones alone. Instead, keep some healthy treats on hand like a smoked rib bone or oven roasted chicken treats.
Desserts
Be careful with those tasty holiday treats. Chocolate is known to be toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. And baking chocolate is the most dangerous of all.
Alcohol
Yeah, I know it’s really funny when that dog in that movie drinks a can of beer. It’s not so funny when in real life your pet’s blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature drop causing seizures and respiratory problems. Stay on the safe side and keep those holiday libations out of reach.
Onions and/or Garlic
Both onions and garlic contain thiosulphate. Thiosulphate is highly toxic to both cats and dogs. In all of its forms – raw, cooked, even powdered – onions can cause hemolytic anemia which is the literal bursting of red blood cells. And garlic is five times stronger. So don’t mess around with these. Don’t even try it.
Xylitol
This stuff is a great sweetener in gum, toothpaste, even mouthwash, right? Well, it’s straight up poison to your dog. It causes hypoglycemia and even liver failure. I know, you’re thinking, “Why would I give my dog gum?” But dogs are weird and you never know what they’ll get into. So make sure you keep your guests purses, you know, where people usually keep their gum, somewhere out of Buster’s reach.
For more holiday pet safety tips, visit the ASPCA.