HOLIDAY HEALTH FOR OUR PETS
Hello everyone and welcome to another FACTUAL FRIDAY. December is in full swing and the holidays are upon us. And even though it’s been a difficult and challenging year for us all, my hope is that we can all find a little time to celebrate the good things we still have in our lives.
For one, baking and cooking traditional treats and meals are activities so many of us enjoy during the holiday season. The process is fun, the results are flavorful and creating our favorite recipes and dishes is also a great form of therapy that can allow us to relax and reflect on wonderful memories and special times with friends and family.
Yet, so many of the holiday treats and eats that we love can wreak havoc with our sweet pets. What is good and tasty to us can be harmful to them.
So, here’s a list of 9 holiday foods that are no-nos for Fluffy and Fido during this festive season of celebration.
RAISINS AND GRAPES
These delicious fruits are plentiful at the holidays and are staples of holiday cooking and table decorations. Yet both fruits can cause kidney failure in dogs. And ingesting a large number of raisins can be lethal for both cats and dogs. So, keep the raisin bread, muffins and fruitcake stored away and out of your pet’s reach.
BONES
It may seem natural to “give the dog a bone,” but don’t. Bones left over from cooking can become brittle and dehydrated. If ingested, they can splinter causing internal lacerations or choking. And it’s not just the poultry or fish bones that we’ve always been warned about, it also applies to beef bones. A natural chew toy is a much better choice.
FAT TRIMMINGS
Whether fat is cooked or uncooked it can be harmful – especially for dogs who can develop painful pancreatitis. Indeed, both cats and dogs have difficulty digesting fat. So, don’t add the drippings to pet food bowls and discard leftover turkey and chicken skin as well.
GARLIC AND ONIONS
These two holiday kitchen staples add aroma and flavor to many of our favorite dishes. Yet, both contain thiosulphate, which can cause red blood cells to rupture in both cats and dogs leading to hemolytic anemia. Of the two, onions are reported to be more harmful. And although some sources say that small amounts of garlic may actually be beneficial for our pets, the jury is still out on the issue. Accordingly, I always say, “When in doubt, leave it out” and err on the side of caution.
DOUGH
There’s often a lot of holiday baking taking place in kitchens around the world this time of year. While this is great for us, dough with yeast can problematic for our pets. Yeast causes dough to rise, and if it’s swallowed raw by a pet, it can rise in the animal’s stomach resulting in painful bloating, abdominal pain and vomiting. So should your pet find the opportunity to feast on your holiday breads before they’re baked, a visit to your local veterinarian is always recommended.
ALCOHOL
Toasting the holidays with champagne, cocktails and spiced eggnog is a part of everyone’s tradition. But even in small amounts alcohol can be much more toxic to pets than to people. And great smelling holiday drinks mixed with spice and fruit can be hard for feline and canine noses to resist. So, be careful not to leave holiday drinks sitting on the coffee table where our inquisitive pets can find them.
NUTS
Nuts and the holidays go hand in hand. They’re great in cooking and wonderful for snacking. Yet again, as tasty and healthy as nuts might be for us, most are harmful for our pets. Nuts are rich in fat, which again can lead to pancreatitis in our four-legged friends. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios are all at the top of our naughty list, and macadamia nuts in particular may contain a toxin that can result in neurological damage.
CHOCOLATE
Now this sweet treat is one that most humans just can’t do without during the holidays. But, the theobromine and caffeine in chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs. If ingested, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even seizures in our pets. And the level of toxicity rises as the cocoa content of the chocolate increases.
NUTMEG
This wonderful holiday spice is great tasting and packed with health benefits for us. But, it’s particularly toxic for pets. It has mild hallucinogenic properties that can harm the delicate nervous systems of cats and dogs causing seizures or tremors. Accordingly, a spoonful of sweet potatoes or pumpkin is just fine for our pets, as long as the recipe doesn’t contain nutmeg.
This year is truly a time for all of us to regroup and reflect. It’s a time to give thanks for the good that remains and for all our four-legged friends who always make any situation just a little bit easier to handle. During this holiday season, while we strive to stay healthy and happy, let’s make sure we do the same for our beloved pets.
Thanks so much for joining me everyone. Until next time, I wish you all a season filled with peace, love and hope. Stay in GOOD HEALTH and . . .
TAKE THE COURSE AND TAKE CHARGE!
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