The holidays are a time when family comes together for a turkey dinner, with all the fixin’s. Pies and cakes and cookies galore follow with a festive movie on TV and a nap in a recliner.
There is one thing, however, that does not belong on the holiday agenda- a trip to the doggy ER. Here are 8 foods to avoid giving Fido during your holiday meals.
1. Turkey Bones
Bones seem like a normal thing to give to your pet, right? Wrong. Turkey bones have been known to splinter and can choke your pet. They can also splint off and lodge into the walls of your dog’s digestive tract.
2. Raisins
From Grandma’s rum raisin pie to oatmeal raisin cookies… keep your fur babies away at all costs! Raisins are highly toxic to dogs, and even a small amount can cause kidney failure.
3. Chocolate
Chocolate is probably one of the most commonly known foods to avoid giving dogs, but a friendly reminder never hurts! Dark chocolate is especially dangerous due to higher levels of methylxanthines (the chemical that causes the reaction). High doses can be fatal.
4. Bacon
Truthfully, the high fat content in bacon isn’t even good for humans, let alone dogs. Yet, us humans love to put bacon in pretty much everything. In very (very) minuscule amounts, you know, like a crumb, your pooch should be fine. Large amounts of fatty foods can, however, damage your dog’s pancreas.
5. Dairy
According to the ASPCA, a warning was announced not to give your dog dairy. As quoted, they claim, “Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other dairy-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.” If cheese is on your appetizer menu, make sure your guests keep the crumbs away from the floor.
6. Nuts
For the same reason as bacon, nuts should be avoided due to high fat content. So, keep the pecan pie away from the edge of the table when your dog comes snooping around.
7. Garlic and Onions
Surely giving your dog a piece of turkey meat is okay, right? Well, the answer would depend on what you used to flavor your bird. Did you use garlic? Onions? What are the ingredients in the brine or rub you used? If garlic and/or onions were involved in the making of your dinner, then those foods should not be given to your pet. They can cause gastrointestinal irritation.
8. Alcohol
Remember when we talked about raisins being bad for your dog? Raisins come from grapes-and so does wine. In addition to the grape factor, alcohol, in general, is very bad for your dog. From vomiting and diarrhea to difficulty breathing, alcohol is very dangerous and in some cases has even led to death.
So, this holiday season, let’s do our dogs a service and stick to dog food! Our pets rely on us and put their trust in us to keep them safe and healthy, and that is exactly what we should do.
