Once again, the holiday season is upon us. It’s that time of year when family and friends conjugate to make merry with food, wine, and song. And if you have pets in your home, you must educate your guests, especially children about what your dog or cat can consume. So, let’s go down the list.
Chocolate, although a human favorite treat, can be deadly to dogs and cats. Dark chocolate and baker’s grade are more dangerous for dogs and cats than milk chocolate, but both are toxic. Children love chocolate and may drop a piece on the floor. Remind them to pick up any food they might drop so the pets do not ingest it.
Grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. A favorite healthy snack of the older generation who may have the tendency to also drop food on the floor, especially after a few alcoholic beverages.
Speaking of alcohol, although not a deadly threat to cats or dogs unless large amounts are consumed, it can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, body temperature, and blood pressure. The stronger the alcohol, the greater the risk, so keep Rover away from Aunt Lil’s Dirty Martini.
Nuts, (speaking of Aunt Lil) can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis. Again, certain nuts can be poisonous and will make both cats and dogs very ill. If consumption is great, the harm to the pet could be fatal. My dog Brody insists on eating acorns every so often, which are poisonous to dogs. He will vomit in the middle of the night (why is it always the middle of the night when I am fast asleep? Why can’t he vomit at 6 pm when we can react better?) leaving a dark brown mucus on the carpet just six inches from the tile floor that would be so much easier to clean up. I am teaching him not to eat acorns on the sidewalk but if he does, to throw up on the tile, not the carpet.
Salty snacks can cause excessive thirst, vomiting, and sodium poisoning in both dogs and cats. Keep in mind that a single small pretzel with some salt on it probably won’t cause your pet to become ill, but if they eat the whole bag they will get very ill.
Garlic, onions, and chives enhance the flavor of dips and baked potatoes, but these vegetables can irritate stomachs in small amounts and are toxic in large amounts. Don’t place onion or garlic chip dips or vegetable relish trays out where your pets can reach them. This can be challenging when you have a counter-surfing cat or large dog but be vigilant and keep an eye on your pets around all foods. The best solution to prevent your furry friends from getting ill due to eating human food is to put pets somewhere where they cannot interact with food-carrying humans. Another option to consider, might be instead of hosting a social gathering, let your friends host and leave your pets in the safety of your home for an evening. (This is my preferred option to protect my dogs and to avoid having to clean up after the gathering.)
Yeast foods can cause stomach bloat, which can be life-threatening, caffeine can raise blood pressure and cause fatal cardiac arrhythmia, and soft bones like turkey bones, can splinter and cause impactions and lacerations to the esophagus, stomach, and intestinal tract of a dog. (most cats do not prefer bones).
Xylitol is a popular sweetener often found in foods such as gum, ice cream, and yogurt, but the sugar substitute is toxic to pets and can cause liver damage. Xylitol used to be in certain brands of peanut butter, but none are currently available in the U.S. but always read the ingredient labels to play it safe.
Now that we know which foods our pets need to avoid, let’s talk about bad behavior. No, not the pet's behavior, the human guest’s behavior.
Leaving beverages and alcoholic drinks or plates of food on a table, counter, floor, or chair arm, unattended and in reach of animals and small children is a no-no. Most parties are “help yourself style” so bowls, platters, and other containers of food will be readily available to humans. Take only as much as you feel you will consume instead of only eating a fraction of the helping and leaving the balance on your plate which is now sitting on the floor next to your chair, and fully available to the pets of the house.
Don’t intentionally give a pet a treat of human food because you want to be nice. Yes, that little pig in the blanket might not bother your stomach, but it could very well give a dog or cat severe diarrhea, and if that happens, don’t expect to be invited back to the holiday party next year. Pet owners tend to remember severe diarrhea for a very long time.
Be respectful of your hosts' home and their pets. If the host asks that you do not feed their dog liver pâté or give their cat a grape, please follow their instructions. Holidays should be fun and joyful. Let’s keep them that way, and remember to please adopt; don’t shop.
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