Holiday Pet Safety: 5 Toxic Holiday Foods For Your Pet
With the holidays around the corner, you’re likely preparing invitations, gift lists, menu options, and decor purchases for your home. If you have a four-legged friend, you might be used to feeding him table scraps or letting him have little treats throughout the holiday season. While some foods are safe, there are some holiday pet safety no-nos. Here is a list of 5 toxic holiday foods, ingredients, or categories you want to keep away from your pet this season and year ‘round.
Sweet Treats
Chocolate
What’s the holiday season without chocolate? While you and your loved ones might be fans, it can be toxic to dogs and cats. The level of toxicity can vary based on many factors, but to be safe, it’s best to keep all chocolate away from your pets. If your pet consumes chocolate, he can experience vomiting, diarrhea, an increased heart rate, tremors, and seizures.
Xylitol
This ingredient is a sugar substitute used in many sweet treats. While it’s an excellent option for humans, it’s not safe for your pets. It can lead to a drop in blood sugar, seizures, liver failure, and even death. Xylitol is most commonly found in sugar-free desserts.
Cookie Additions
Many ingredients you add to your baked treats such as raisins and macadamia nuts are no-nos for your pets. Macadamia nuts can lead to weakness in the legs, and raisins can cause kidney failure.
Turkey
While a turkey might be at the center of your holiday table, be sure to keep it away from your pets. Both turkey and turkey skin can lead to pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, which is a life-threatening condition. It can be excruciating, and the primary treatment involves hospitalization.
Alcoholic Drinks
This should go without saying, but alcohol isn’t appropriate for your furry friends. Some people like to add a bit to their water bowl as a sort of joke, but the potential effects are far from funny. Your pet could start to feel weak and get ill, leading to a coma or respiratory failure.
Onion and Garlic
Onion and garlic as stand-alone ingredients and additions to foods your pet ingest can be lethal. They can destroy your pet’s red blood cells, which causes anemia. Anemia is a life-threatening condition that often requires hospitalization.
Yeast Dough
The next time you’re thinking about giving your pet a roll or other baked goods made with yeast, think again. Yeast dough can lead to painful gas and dangerous bloating. Save your pet the discomfort by taking this holiday food off his menu.
Make Holiday Pet Safety a Priority
The holiday season is a wonderful time, and you should enjoy yourself with your friends, family, and pets. Be sure to make the safety of your pets a priority by staying away from these toxic holiday foods. Instead, opt for safer options such as pumpkins, peas, spinach, green beans, and corn. These whole foods are often a welcome change, get them involved in the meal, and keep them safe. It’s a win-win.
If you have a busy holiday season coming up with travel and being away from home for extended periods, you might be thinking of what to do with your pet. At Crate Escape Pet Care, we help pets stay in the comfort of their home during the holiday season with our pet walking and pet sitting services.
Schedule a meet and greet or learn more about how our services can help your furry friends during the holiday season and beyond.