The holiday season is the best time of year to let loose and live it up with your loved ones–pets included. However, humans and animals can’t celebrate in quite the same manner. Many of the traditional foods we love are extremely harmful to our pets. So, to avoid a holiday disaster, keep your pet far from the following ingredients:
1. Alcohol
Think twice before letting your dog lick up a spilled drink. Alcohol can quickly cause respiratory problems, comas, and even death among pets. If you think your party goers might get a little too tipsy, you can thwart the problem beforehand by keeping your animal in a safe, off-limits room.
2. Onions and Garlic
Not a fan of your grandma’s stuffing? Don’t let your dog get you politely off the hook by stealthily feeding him this side dish. Allium vegetables like onions and garlic, which are key ingredients in many Thanksgiving dishes, can cause anemia in animals and may result in a severe toxic reaction when consumed in high amounts.
3. Bacon and Ham Trimmings
People often leave their leftover ham or bacon for their animals, but it’s a risky move. Pork products, especially when high in fat, can cause indigestion and pancreatitis in dogs and cats.
4. Chocolate
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine–two highly toxic ingredients for animals. Chocolate poisoning causes serious health effects like seizures and death in cats and dogs.
5. Raw Dough
Bread is totally fine to feed your pet. However, if it hasn’t been baked yet, yeast can create complicated and dangerous effects like seizures, respiratory failure, alcohol poisoning, and a condition called bloat, which causes the stomach to expand and flip over.
Accidents happen, but your veterinarian is just a phone call away. Contact your local veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested something harmful.
