Avoid feeding pets these toxic or irritating holiday foods
For people of all faiths, the holidays are meant to be a time of joy and celebration with family and friends. Of course, this includes pets, too.
Based on a survey from 2020, more than 60% of pet owners spent up to $50 on their pets for the holidays, with almost 20% of respondents saying they spent more than $50 on pets’ gifts. This holiday season, ensure budgets for pets are spent on gifts and not at the veterinarian’s office.
Another big budget line item for festive gatherings is food — and there is a wide variety that can be disastrous if pets get into them. Many of these foods are common ingredients around the holidays. Care should be used during preparing, cooking, cleaning and dining to make sure pets stay happy and healthy.
Chocolate
One of the more well-known hazards, chocolate is toxic to pets. While most cats likely will not seek it out on their own, dogs love to get in to this sweet treat, which is baked into all sorts of holiday confections.
Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, two chemicals pets cannot metabolize like humans can. The darker the chocolate, the more potential harm, with baker’s chocolate containing the highest amount of theobromine.
Chocolate toxicity levels will vary based on the size of the pet and the type and amount of chocolate consumed. If there is a concern a pet has consumed chocolate, contact a veterinarian immediately. It will be helpful for them to know what type of chocolate, how much and the weight of the pet.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a popular choice for a sugar substitute. Sadly, small amounts of it can be deadly for some animals. It can be found in dozens of products ranging from hard candies, mints, peanut butter, jellies and jams, chewing gum, puddings and more.
Keep products that contain xylitol out of animals’ reach at all times. It may not be obvious that the product contains xylitol, so if it is sweet but sugar free, check the label. Xylitol is also called birch sugar.
Preventive Vet helpfully put together a comprehensive list of products that contain xylitol.
Fatty foods
While fatty foods might not be fatal to your pet, too much of a tasty thing can lead to pancreatitis and a trip to the veterinarian’s office. Fatty foods include, but are not limited to, bacon, butter, gravy, beef or turkey drippings and meat scraps.
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas with clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Some breeds are more prone to pancreatitis, such as miniature Schnauzers. Signs of pancreatitis may not present themselves until four days after exposure to fatty foods.
Scraps
After the turkey, roast or whatever delight for the family feast finds its way to the dinner table, the scraps can pose a major risk. Leftover bones from poultry, beef or pork may be a delight for your pet, but they are major choking hazards — or worse — an intestinal obstruction waiting to happen.
Most bowel obstructions require major surgery to remove and can run into the thousands of dollars. Immediately discard any bones if they will not be used to make soup or stock.
Onions and garlic
A holiday feast would not be nearly as flavorful without the inclusion of garlic and onions, but they are toxic to pets. The thiosulphate in onions and garlic can cause hemolytic anemia.
Other foods to keep Fido away from to keep from ending up on someone’s naughty list: grapes, raisins, currants and nuts — especially macadamia nuts. It should go without saying that alcohol of any kind is a big no-no for pets.
Holiday hosts, make sure guests know house rules regarding the feeding of pets. Be kind, but firm when telling all guests that pets are not to be fed any human foods. This is doubly important for children who may want to curry favor with the resident cat or dog.
By Melissa Webster, DVM