Safe Festive Treats For Your Pets
December 21, 2021
Pets love the crinkly sounds of Christmas: the tissue and wrapping paper, the sweets and goodies all delicately wrapped, the sound of crunchy roast potatoes and crusty rolls, and the rush of paper hats and Christmas crackers.
You want your pet to be a part of your festive celebrations as much as any other family member, but that doesn’t mean you need to set them a place at the table. According to the RSPCA, some festive goodies can be highly toxic and dangerous to dogs in particular.
Here is a list of foods to avoid this Holiday season:
Chocolate
Mince (or fruit) pies and butter tarts
Christmas pudding and Christmas cake (anything with dried fruit)
Onion gravy
Alcohol (that includes beer and wine)
Leftover turkey bones and fatty meats
Chocolate: Everybody gets chocolates during the Holidays and the darker, the more toxic for your canine pal. Cocoa contains a substance called theobromine, as well as caffeine, that produce toxic effects in dogs. If ingested, your dog will experience vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting, restlessness, excessive urination and increased heart rate. These symptoms can lead to muscle tremors, seizures and heart failure.
Onions and garlic: Anything in the allium family (shallots, leeks, chives) are all toxic for pets. Onions and garlic are two of the most popular ingredients used in cooking. From stuffing to gravy to garlic mashed potatoes, keep track of where these ingredients hide and keep them away from your pets. Symptoms include:
Lethargy
Weakness
Decreased appetite
Pale gums
Fainting
Reddish urine
If left untreated, onion toxicity can be fatal.
Salt and sugar: No sweets for Fido and no salty bacon or sausages for Fritz. Salt and sugar in your pet’s diet leads to diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and dental disease.
Fatty meats and turkey bones: Too much fat can cause upset tummies and diarrhea in cats and dogs, so best to avoid giving them the skin or too much brown meat. Avoid giving them any bones from the turkey as these can splinter and cause tears in their mouths and along the digestive tract. Not to mention, dogs can easily choke on small bones.
So when you want to slip your dog Rover a slice of turkey under the table, use caution and ask yourself: Is it covered in gravy? Is it salty? Is it greasy? And above all, is it healthy?
Everybody wants to have a good time at Christmas and this includes your pets. But what you don’t want is an expensive trip to the emergency vet over the holidays.