Keep Your Dog Safe This Holiday Season

The holidays are right around the corner.  There's going to be a lot more excitement in your house with guests and food on every table.  Dogs love an unmonitored buffet table so you want to make sure your dog is safe this holiday season and doesn't get into any food that they shouldn't eat.  Here's a good guide of foods that dogs should avoid. 
#1 ChocolateIt seems that at one point or another most dogs will snag a brownie from the coffee table, uncover a chocolate chip that’s fallen on the floor or steal a cookie from a child’s hand. While it depends on the dog and the type and amount of chocolate in the dessert, chocolate is poisonous to your dog and they should be watched very carefully if they eat any. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is a central stimulant to the nervous system stimulant.  The symptoms of poisoning are an increased heart rate, hyperactivity, increased panting, twitching, diarrhea, and vomiting.

If too much chocolate is consumed, it can result in a heart attack. Due to the fact that too much chocolate is relative to the dog’s size, breed, age and other health factors, it’s important to keep a very close eye on your dog if they accidentally eat chocolate and to take them to the emergency veterinarian if they exhibit any symptoms.

#2  Alcohol
The holidays are a time for celebrating and that often means that beer, wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages will be around. Egg nog anyone?  Trouble is, dogs like these tasty drinks too. Unfortunately, their systems cannot process the alcohol and it can kill them. Weight, age, health and metabolism play a large role in how a dog handles alcohol however, an intoxicated dog isn’t a good thing. Alcohol can and does kill dogs and will most certainly make them ill.
#3  Turkey
Turkey in and of itself isn’t deadly however the bones are. Turkey bones, like chicken bones, are easily swallowed but once they’re in the stomach they can splinter and perforate the stomach lining. Dog’s also choke on these bones quite regularly. If your dog gets a hold of the turkey and you suspect they’ve eaten a few bones, you must maintain a constant vigil over them and make sure you have the emergency veterinarian on speed dial. Quick intervention, surgery, can save a dog with a perforated stomach.

#4  Onions
Onions are a part of many meals. They’re in the salads, the side dishes and even part of the main course. They’re also deadly to your dog. Onions damage your dog’s red blood cells which can make them anemic and cause death. Garlic has the same effect on dogs. It doesn’t matter if they’re cooked or raw, keep the onions and any foods containing onions away from your dog.
#5  Yeast
Now, of course most dogs aren’t going to dive into a dish or packet of yeast but if you have bread rising on the counter, don’t give them a nibble of the raw dough. The yeast and dough will rise in the dog’s stomach causing serious problems but also the yeast fermenting can have a toxic effect on their blood – alcohol toxicosis. Surgery to remove the dough is the only way to save the dog. So, if you’re baking bread, make sure it’s rising in a location that isn’t accessible by the dog. We do suggest training your dog to stay off the counters.

Other foods that are toxic to your dog include:

* Raisins and grapes
* Products sweetened with xylitol
* Coffee
* Macadamia nuts
* Avocado