As the holiday season approaches, pet parents may question if it’s really such a bad thing to share the feast with four-legged family members. Pets are loved and it is the season for giving. Surely a little bit of turkey is okay, right?
Nobody likes a holiday buzzkill. And among children and guests, it is tradition to discreetly feed pets under the table. But our national food culture has changed — from viral food fads to the decline in cooking at home. More money is now spent at restaurants and bars than grocery stores while food marketers have aided and abetted America's almost constant grazing on highly processed snacks. The sheer quantity of food and ease of access will tempt 4-legged party animals unaware of the risks. So let’s focus on the foods that your furry family members absolutely, positively should not have.
Garlic and Onions
Garlic and onions are two members of the plant genus Allium that also includes shallots, leeks, and chives. The plants in this category are poisonous to pets, with the highest toxicity levels in the bulbs we use as raw, cooked, granulated, or dehydrated ingredients. Garlic is 3–5 times more toxic than onions and all become more life-threatening to pets in concentrated forms such as dehydrated flakes, powders, or dry onion soup mixes.
Pets that ingest these foods often suffer from gastrointestinal distress. Consuming too much can trigger a life-threatening condition called Heinz body anemia which is fatal without treatment. Cats are the most susceptible with symptoms reported after ingesting less than a teaspoon of cooked onions. Clinical signs include weakness, lack of appetite, pale gums, hyperventilation, and collapse.
Keep in mind that the highest concentrations of garlic and onion are often found in seasoning packets. Besides tasting great, these crinkly wonders make irresistible playthings. If you want your pet to have a share of the turkey, make sure it is fully cooked, boneless, and not seasoned with any member of the Allium family.
Cooking Debris
While garbage may be the last thing on your mind, bones, chocolate, onions, and plenty of other holiday hazards will be piling up. Make sure your furry wastebasket raiders and counter surfers cannot begin kitchen cleanup before you do. Cooking twine, turkey bones, toothpicks, discarded fat, soiled pans, and greasy paper towels are just some of the reasons why veterinarians are open on Black Friday.
Try to remember to empty trash throughout the day and clear countertops as soon as possible. If your dog is crate trained or your kitty is happy in a separate room, you may want to consider keeping them out of the kitchen altogether.
Paws Off Xylitol
Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance widely used as a safe, natural sugar substitute that is extremely toxic to dogs. A dog that ingests even small amounts of Xylitol will experience sudden, dramatic drops in their blood sugar. Even if the pet survives exposure, the risk of liver damage and blood clotting disorders may remain. Clinical signs include vomiting, weakness, lethargy, seizures, and coma.
According to the MERCK Manual, cats are not at risk for hypoglycemia or liver injury. Without stating why, it may be because cats do not go out of their way to ingest sugary-tasting treats.
Most alarming are the number of products in which Xylitol is found. The list includes some nut butters, breath mints, dietary supplements, candy, over-the-counter medications (particularly liquid formulations), baked goods, toothpaste, ice cream, chewing gum, mouthwash, chewable vitamins, cake mixes, cereals, jellies and jams. While half the list includes nonfood items, this is a distinction without a difference to the dog’s superb ability to sniff out the sweet smell.
Bottom line: Always read the label before giving your dog anything marketed for human consumption. “Natural sweetener” or “sugar-free” are clues though they are intended as invitations, not warnings. Xylitol is derived from the birch tree and ingredient labels may describe its presence as “sugar alcohol,” “wood sugar,” “birch sugar,” or “birch bark extract.” As some products containing Xylitol are often found in pockets and handbags, make sure the belongings of holiday guests are well out of your pet’s reach.
Alcohol
Alcohol toxicity is one of the leading causes of holiday visits to a vet emergency hospital. Clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea, and hypersalivation which may progress to seizures, coma, and respiratory depression. Dogs rapidly absorb alcohol via the GI tract and some alcohols are well absorbed through the skin. Always a good idea to keep adult beverages and the rum-soaked fruit cake beyond your furbaby’s reach.
Chocolate
Chocolate poisoning occurs most often in dogs due to their eclectic nutrition choices and easy access to the candy dish, though many animals are susceptible. The primary toxins are theobromine and caffeine which varies among different chocolate brands. Clinical signs of chocolate poisoning may include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive water drinking, and restlessness. Severe clinical signs and death may occur at lower chocolate doses due to individual susceptibility. The general rule is the darker the chocolate, the greater the threat. Baking chocolate and cocoa powder are particularly dangerous.
Grapes, Raisins, and Currants
In general, more than one grape or raisin per 10 pounds of canine body weight may contain enough organic acid to pose a serious risk to your pet’s kidneys. Tamarinds have also resulted in renal failure. Most dogs develop vomiting or diarrhea hours after ingestion. More serious signs include anorexia, weakness, dehydration, and tremors. Early supportive care can prevent life-threatening kidney failure.
Once upon a time there was a small dog the size of a football that loved to snack on grapes. She was the exception, not the rule. It bears repeating that grapes in all of its forms can cause some dogs to become deathly ill.
Nuts
The texture of nuts and seeds make them difficult for pets to digest. Some nuts can be choking hazards because of their size or shape. All are high in fat which can lead to weight gain and sometimes pancreatitis. Also commercial varieties may have added flavorings that are harmful. Walnuts, pecans, and hickory nuts are prone to a mold that produces a toxin that is highly dangerous to dogs. Black walnuts and pecans are doubly dangerous because they contain the naturally occurring toxin juglone.
Macadamia nuts top the list as especially dangerous, though the mechanism of toxicity is unknown. Within 12 hours of ingestion, macadamia nuts have been linked to lethargy, weakness, tremors, and vomiting in dogs. Typically the syndrome is nonfatal though the dog’s high temperature and muscle weakness may give you quite a scare.
The best advice is to stick to dog-specific treats and keep the nuts for yourself.
Medical Issues
Holiday foods high in sodium can be a concern for pets with heart disease, while dogs and cats with kidney disease need to be careful of a variety of nutrients including phosphorus (high in meat and dairy products) and sodium. And pets with digestive issues (sensitive stomachs) can easily develop diarrhea or vomiting when given foods they don’t typically eat, or high fat foods. Check with your veterinarian to make sure you know what foods are safe for your pet.
Final Tip
Feeding pets is a deeply felt pleasure. Assuming no preexisting medical conditions, a plain, modest share of the feast will avoid messy outcomes. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season!
For quick reference you can download the Merck Vet Manual App for free.