Holiday Foods To Watch Out For With Dogs
When you are cooking and baking for the holidays and otherwise preparing for your holiday celebrations, it can be easy to forget about your dog and the health issues that can occur if they eat certain festive holiday foods. There are, however, holiday foods to watch out for with dogs. If your dog gets into these foods, it means an immediate trip to the veterinary clinic is in order to ensure they are as healthy and safe as possible. Usually, this means the vet at the veterinary clinic will have to induce vomiting, but sometimes, more extensive treatment is also necessary. Get to know some of these foods. That way, you can do your best to ensure your dog does not get into them this holiday season.
Grapes
Grapes are a food served around Christmas and New Year's in certain cultures. If you are having grapes or any food with grapes in it for one of your holiday feasts (including raisins), keep your dog away.
Grapes are one of the most highly toxic foods for dogs. Even one or two grapes can cause serious health problems and even kidney failure. If your dog ingests grapes, call the veterinary clinic right away. They will likely instruct you on how to induce vomiting at home and then have you come in for further treatment and tests.
Onions
Another food that is usually an ingredient in stuffing, gravy, and other holiday favorites is onion. Though not as bad as grapes, onions are still toxic to dogs and should be avoided at all costs.
Onions damage the red blood cells in dogs, causing anemia. The more onion they consume, the worse the condition can get, causing trouble circulating oxygen throughout the body. A dog can die from ingesting onions if not treated properly.
Chocolate
Chocolate in cookies and desserts can be a tradition for some families around the holidays. Dogs cannot consume chocolate because it too is toxic to them.
In the case of chocolate, the compound theobromine is the reason dogs cannot eat it. Theobromine can cause numerous problems for your dog starting with digestive issues and escalating to heart issues. Some dogs have had heart attacks from consuming chocolate. Seizures can also occur.
Turkey (or Other Poultry) Bones
If your dog gets into the trash or onto the table and gets a turkey (or other poultry) bone, you will want to get it away from them right away if possible. Turkey bones can splinter, causing your dog serious injury internally if they ingest it. They can also injure their mouths and throats while chewing and swallowing these bones.
They also do not break down and can cause intestinal blockages and ruptures as a result. If your dog does consume a turkey bone, they need immediate care at a veterinary clinic to hopefully remove the bone before it gets too far into the digestive tract. If it gets too far down, surgery will be necessary to remove it.
Now that you know some of the holiday foods to watch out for with your dog, you can be sure you do everything you can to keep your dog healthy and safe through the holidays. And if they do get into anything bad, you can get them to the veterinary clinic right away for care and help.
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