THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS
POV: You’re a dog or cat during the holidays…
The smells, the shiny parts, the tree, ALL THE HUMANS!!!
Our pets are so much smarter and more curious than we give them credit for, and when they give in to their curiosities (like playing with tinsel and possibly ingesting it), we give them trouble instead of having taken into account that all the excitement might be a lot for them to handle.
Here is a list of foods NOT to share with your dogs or cats this holiday season; although we all deserve a treat, there are some things that pets simply cannot stomach.
What to Avoid
Alcohol – Alcohol can cause intoxication, lack of coordination, poor breathing, abnormal acidity and potentially even a coma or death.
Apple seeds – The casing of apple seeds are toxic to a dog because they contain a natural chemical (amygdalin) that releases cyanide when digested.
Avocado – Avocados contain persin, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and heart congestion.
Coconut oil – Can cause intestinal upset and other problems in dogs who cannot tolerate high levels of fat in their diet.
Cooked bones – When it comes to bones, the danger is that cooked bones can easily splinter when chewed by your dog; the splinters can cause damage when chewed and/or swallowed.
Candy and chewing gum – Not only does candy contain sugar, but it often contains xylitol, which can lead to the over-release of insulin, kidney failure, and worse.
Chocolate – Chocolate usually contains caffeine as well as theobromine and theophylline, which can be toxic and cause panting, vomiting and diarrhea, and/or damage your dog’s heart and nervous systems.
Citrus oil extracts – Can cause vomiting.
Coffee – Caffeine can cause death if enough is ingested by your pet.
Corn on the cob – The cob can get lodged in the small intestine, and if it’s not removed surgically, it can prove fatal to your dog.
Raw fish – The primary fish that you need to be careful about are salmon and trout. Raw salmon can be fatal to dogs if the fish is infected with a certain parasite.
Garlic – Garlic is related to onions, which are toxic for dogs.
Grapes and raisins – Grapes contain a toxin that can cause severe liver damage and kidney failure.
Hops – This beer ingredient can be bad for your dog. The consumption of hops causes panting, an increased heart rate, fever, seizures, and even death.
Macadamia nuts – These contain a toxin that can inhibit locomotory activities, resulting in weakness, panting, swollen limbs, and tremors as well as possible damage to your canine’s digestive, nervous, and muscle systems.
Marijuana and edibles containing cannabis-infused butter or oil – Marijuana, if ingested, can adversely affect your dog’s nervous system and heart rate. Products made with concentrated THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis), such as cannabis butter, are often very attractive to dogs but are even more dangerous and can cause seizures, coma, and even death.
Mushrooms – The wrong mushroom can be fatal to humans as well as your pet.
Onions and chives – These contain disulphides and sulfoxides (thiosulphate), both of which can cause anemia and damage red blood cells.
Persimmons, peaches and plums– Peach pits can be a choking hazard, and seeds can be toxic.
Rhubarb and tomato leaves – These contain oxalates, which can adversely affect a canine’s digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.
Salt – just like humans, excessive salt is not good for your dog.
Tobacco– Nicotine can damage your pet’s digestive and nervous systems, increase their heart rate, make them pass out, and ultimately result in death.
Yeast (on its own or in dough) – Yeast rises, whether in your dog’s stomach or not. While a little can cause gas and discomfort, too much of it could rupture your dog’s stomach and intestines.
Should you suspect your dog has ingested something toxic, call your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately. How quickly treatment is started can mean the difference between life and death.
Although dogs and cats may have a stronger stomach acid than we humans do, theirs is meant to break down meat protein and grizzly bits like cartilage as well as bone. Things like sugar and salt will throw their systems off balance and incur some nasty symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, drooling and general stomach upset such as gas. And I’m sure we all heard at least once in our lifetime (I know I did) that garlic is good for pets as it “keeps fleas away.” Not the case (although that IS a blog topic we will include next). Garlic and chives, as well as onion, are actually bad for your pet, as they cause the same stomach upset as sugars do.
Some things you can ABSOLUTELY share with your fuzzy family are the following:
Turkey giblets
Cooked fish
Carrots
Cheese
Plain yogurt
Salmon
Blueberries
Pumpkin
Peanut butter
Chicken
Sweet potato
Apple slices (no seeds)
Eggs
Oatmeal
Next is a list of things we need to make sure our pets don’t accidentally ingest, such as tinsel and holiday plants. Although they're super cute to watch when they are at play, these things can poison our pets and cause a very costly bill from the vet.
Tinsel, shiny string and spray on snow.
Edible gifts
Cords
Tree bits and pieces.
Batteries
Board Game pieces
Paper
Although they are very pretty and add some much-needed flair to our homes, some plants to be cautious of due to toxic effects include:
Azaleas
Amaryllis
Evergreen
Ivy
Lily
Juniper
Holly
Mistletoe
Chrysanthemum
Poinsettias- This is the least poisonous but causes irritation in the mouth and stomach
We hope these Holidays bring you all the joy, excitement and love you deserve, thank you for your business this year, and we can not wait to service you next year.
-Custom Maids
