Pets and Festivities: Dangerous Holiday Foods for Dogs

The holidays are coming up, which means lots of fun and plenty of food to share with family and friends. It might be tempting to give your dogs some of your favorite meals during this time, but you must be careful. Though there are human foods safe for dogs, some of them can cause serious health problems. To make things easier for you, here are some of those that you shouldn’t place in your pet’s bowl.

Preserved Pork

Whether it’s ham, bacon, or sausages, no special occasion is complete without some kind of preserved or processed pork on the table. But, while these are delicious dishes, you should never share these with your dogs. These are too fatty for their stomach to handle. Eating too much can cause pancreatitis, which can be fatal if left untreated.

Ham is also rich in salt. Consuming too much sodium can lead to excessive thirst, which can cause your dog to bloat. It can be life-threatening because it places a lot of pressure on your dog’s other organs.

Nutmeg

This is a famous spice for holiday treats like cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. The mouthwatering fragrance it produces won’t only attract family and friends but will also catch your dog’s attention. However, this seemingly normal ingredient is toxic for your pets because of Myristicin, one of its main compounds.

At low doses, it can cause mild side effects like vomiting and diarrhea. If they eat too much, it can cause high blood pressure, abdominal pain, and even seizures.

Nuts

Although many animal experts believe that occasionally giving your dog nuts won’t be a problem, it shouldn’t be fed to them regularly. Also, you have to be very careful when picking the right variety since not all are safe for them. Some of these are pistachios and pecans, which are common ingredients in holiday desserts like pies and cookies.  

People love snacking on pistachios, but they’re not meant for dogs. They have Aspergillus molds inside them, which, when ingested, can do plenty of harm to their liver. Meanwhile, pecans also have the same kind of fungi and contain juglone, a harmful toxin to canines.

Ask Your Vet in Kansas

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, not spending your time worrying about your dogs’ health because of something they ate. If you want to share some of your holiday meals with your pets, make sure they’re human foods safe for dogs. Talk to a professional vet at Chisholm Trail Animal Hospital to learn more about them.