It’s the season of decorations and delicacies, which means we get to spread the holiday cheer to all the ones we love – including our pets. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to treat our dogs and cats as regular family members, especially around the holidays when fellowship and food are on a non-stop loop.
Still, before you slip something off your plate and onto the floor “accidently” for your pup to munch on during a holiday dinner, you’ll want to be mindful of what holiday treats are safe for animals to enjoy. In this season of eating, snacking, and repeating, it’s important to keep in mind that there are certain holiday traditions that only apply to your human family and could cause harm to your furry friend. Here’s a list to guide you and your family through the holiday season.
Food and drink to avoid feeding your pet.
Chocolate: This may be the perfect stocking stuffer for that special someone, but not for the pets. Dogs and cats are not able to digest chocolate because it contains a substance called methylxanthines, which causes detrimental side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and possibly death.
Caffeine and coffee: Similarly to chocolate, methylxanthines live inside cacao beans in coffee and caffeinated products.
Grapes and raisins: A healthy snack for humans can take a dark turn when fed to a pet. These innocent looking fruits can cause kidney failure in animals.
Dairy products: Like many humans, your pets are mostly lactose intolerant. You might be able to fight through your dietary restrictions in order to try that baked mac and cheese on Christmas Eve, but your puppy won’t feel the same.
Alcohol: Have yourself a spirited holiday shindig, but keep the drinking to the adults. Even if your pup is of age, alcohol is extremely dangerous to animals and can cause severe damage including possible death.
Avocados: A super food for humans and kryptonite for pets. While unsafe for standard house pets, avocados pose a threat mostly to rabbits and birds causing issues such as cardiovascular disease.
Macadamia nuts: It may seem like these little snacks make for a great treat to toss your pup during training, but macadamia nuts should be avoided due to their tendency to cause digestive issues and potentially hyperthermia in pets.
Candy: There’s going to be a lot of sugary treats flying around your home for the next month. Your pup will not be able to participate. Many modern candies contain a sweetener called xylitol, which has the potential to cause liver failure in dogs in addition to vomiting and digestive issues.
Eggnog: This classic holiday beverage will not land in your pet’s bowl this year. A perfect storm of pet poison, this drink contains dairy, sugar, fat, and at times, alcohol, which are all extremely harmful to your animal.
Bacon and ham: It’s often thought that meat is good for dogs, and they certainly seem to enjoy it. However, ham and bacon have been known to cause pancreatitis in pets.
Cinnamon: In the season of festive spices, our pups will have to be left out of the cinnamon fun. This spice can lower a dog’s blood sugar and cause irritation of the mouth.
Nutmeg: Once again, this spice will probably be quite prominent in your home this season- and it should be. Nutmeg adds a pleasant, subtle flare to a holiday dessert, but unfortunately has severe effects on our pets. The side effects of large amounts of nutmeg consumption in animals can lead to hallucinations and even seizures.
Onions: These might be a must-have ingredient in your famous potato salad or french onion soup, but this item is definitely not for the animals. Onions fall under the Allium family, which is a substance pets are not able to process due to a chemical inside them called organosulfides. Dogs and cats are especially at risk due to their high susceptibility to organosulfides.
Garlic: This must have holiday flavor is unfortunately from the same category of Allium plants. Garlic acts as a poison for domesticated animals and can cause serious harm.
Chives/leeks: Similar to garlic and onions, these essential seasonings can cause digestive distress for you little furry friend.
Protect your pet from these household products.
The holidays are a time for cheer and festivities. But with cheer comes…the mess. With holiday guests cycling in and out, there’s going to be a lot of cleaning going on. If you have furry creatures running around your home it’s important to protect them from products they might mistake for a chew toy or ingest as they forage on the floor. It might seem obvious because humans can’t eat cleaning or household care products either, but we’re not the ones licking the floors for any leftover crumbs.
Dish soap/hand soap: Be sure to wash all the soap out of attainable vessels with water in anticipation that there might be an excited pup in search of a bonus snack on the ground. Holiday scented soaps most often contain artificial fragrance which furthers the issues for our pets.
Sponges: A dirty sponge looks like a perfect chew toy for your eager pup, but is secretly the home of dirt, bacteria, and excess dish soap that will cause them physical distress. Be sure to leave any sponges or washcloths out of range of your pets to ensure that they don’t get a mouthful of unwanted bacteria.
Rat poison: We understand that there are certain guests we don’t want at the dinner table, but the poison element doesn’t just apply to rats. When ingested by a dog or cat, they might experience vomiting, diarrhea, or possibly death depending on the amount consumed. It also can poison birds of prey, as rodents are a primary source of their food.
Perfume: You may want to be smelling fresh and festive this season, but be on alert that most perfumes contain a chemical called Ethanol, which is very toxic to animals. Avoid spraying heavy amounts on or near your pets, and be sure to wipe up any spills when you see them!
Bug spray for the home: Those who want to avoid conventional pest control know the smart alternative is Wondercide. Wondercide’s Indoor Pest Control spray for the home rids the home of unwanted bugs while being safe for your pets when used as directed. Keep roaches, ants and other pests out of your holiday dinner without worrying about what a bug spray it might do to your pups.
Decor to avoid.
Poinsettias: Ever-popular during the holiday season, these plants are quite toxic when it comes to the furrier species. While the consumption of these plants may not be fatal, they’ll certainly cause some digestive issues, including vomiting or diarrhea.
Amaryllis and lilies: A variety of other common holiday plants, such as amaryllis and lilies, can be toxic to pets if ingested.
Tinsel: Sometimes pets are drawn to tinsel, and if ingested, it can cause intestinal blockages, leading to serious health issues.
Mistletoe: Some varieties of mistletoe are toxic to pets. Ingesting mistletoe can cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and can even be fatal.
Holly: Holly berries are toxic to pets and can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if ingested. The sharp leaves can also cause injury to the mouth and digestive tract.
Christmas tree water: The water in the Christmas tree stand may contain harmful chemicals or bacteria. Pets drinking from it can experience stomach upset or poisoning.
Ornaments: Glass or breakable ornaments pose a risk of injury if shattered, and small decorations can be a choking hazard if swallowed.
Candles: Lit candles can be knocked over by curious pets, causing burns or starting a fire. The scented ones may also irritate pets' respiratory systems.
Electric lights and cords: Chewing on electrical cords can lead to electrical shock or burns. Twinkling lights can also be tempting for pets to play with, posing a risk of entanglement.
Artificial Snow: Some artificial snow sprays or decorations may contain toxic substances. Inhaling or ingesting these can be harmful to pets.
Wrapping paper and ribbon: Ingesting large quantities of wrapping paper or ribbons can lead to digestive issues, and some materials may cause choking or intestinal blockages.
What’s OK to give your pets?
If you’re freaking out a little bit trying to figure out what you actually can feed your pet, that’s okay! We’ve also compiled a list of what’s safe to keep around your furry friends so they can get in on the holiday fun, too.
Apples: We’re not sure what dog might enjoy snacking on such a healthy treat, but if they get their paws on an apple, that’s okay. They shouldn’t ingest any apple seeds or pits, but the essence of the apple will do them no harm.
Bread: Bread is a safe and easy treat to feed your animal if they’re craving a bit of human food. Plain bread is perfectly safe for your pup to consume, but also provides no significant health benefits. We’re sure they’d appreciate a small bread snack once and while, but it won’t function as their primary source of nutrients.
Eggs: This one might come as a surprise since we often find eggs in the dairy section of the grocery stores in America. However, eggs are not harmful to animals, and actually provide some decent health benefits. Of course, the eggs should be fully cooked to reduce risk of salmonella and biotin deficiency.
Fish: Fish can provide a healthy portion of nutrients to your pup as long as it’s cooked properly and not covered in seasonings and oils. Look for wild caught.
Peanut butter: This delicious spread is a perfect way to hide any vitamins or medication you might need to feed your dog each morning. Peanut butter and peanuts provide a good source of protein and cause no harm to the animal as long as it’s not given in excess, and as long as it doesn’t have xylitol in it.
Popcorn: Popcorn is a great little treat to pop your pup every once in a while. While it doesn’t provide any necessary health benefits, this snack will not cause your pet any distress or physical danger.
Turkey: This meat is considered okay to slip your furry friends off the dinner table when cooked fully, not doused in gravy, doesn’t have skin or bones, and is given in very small portions.
Nothing sings holiday cheer like health and safety. We hope you found these tips useful and will help your pets stay happy and healthy this holiday season. Treat them to something special this season. We encourage you to go spoil your pets and have the healthiest of holidays.
