Holiday Foods That Are Dangerous for Your Dog

Winter is here and the holiday spirit is everywhere around us. And in just a few days, many of us will celebrate Christmas and New Year. It’s a time when families come together, have fun, eat and enjoy the warmth of the holidays while reminding us of the importance of keeping your friends and families close. An essential part of these celebrations is dinner. And it can be pretty chaotic when trying to cook for a huge family. You need to make groceries lists, go shopping and then spend the whole day cooking. So it is no wonder that you forget a crucial thing in the midst of all this. Your four-legged furry friends. Dogs are a part of our families as much as anybody else and needs to be considered. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Holiday foods that are dangerous for your dog. So we made a list of foods you should avoid giving to your dog during the Holidays and even year round.

Leftover cooked bones

The number one thing you should avoid giving your dog during the Holidays is cooked bones. It may be surprising, but dogs and bones are not always a great combo. So if you have any leftover bones from your roast, do not give them to your pet. The danger stems from the fact that cooked bones can easily splinter and hurt your dog. They can scratch his throat or cut his intestines. Not to mention that they are a potential choking hazard. You must drop everything, leave your celebration, and rush through the city to get your puppy to a vet. Not everybody knows this information, so warn your guests about this. And if you have a small dog that’s not trained yet, make sure to remove all the leftover bones from the table immediately so he doesn’t attempt to steal them when you are not watching.

Ham is one of the Christmas foods that are dangerous for your dog

If you plan to have ham for your dinner, skip giving it to your dog. The main reason for that is the high level of sodium in hams. And that much salt is incredibly toxic for your dogs. It can cause vomiting and extreme dehydration. And while giving a small piece of ham one time won’t severely hurt your dog, it is better not to encourage this habit. Your dog will like it and start rummaging through the garbage to find any leftovers, and anytime in the future you make ham, you will have to be careful your dog doesn’t accidentally eat or steal it off the table.

Garlic and onions

The next thing on our list is not any specific dish but ingredients. Your dogs should avoid garlic and onions at all costs. It is because they contain thiosulfate, which is very toxic for both dogs and cats. And while cats are usually smart enough to avoid eating it and find the smell unpleasant, dogs might not know this is bad for them. Onions and garlic can cause vomiting, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and in some cases, diarrhea. But the worst thing they do is cause red blood cell damage, which can be dangerous for your dog’s health.

Chocolate Desserts

It is incredibly important that your dog doesn’t get his paws on any chocolate desserts. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is very hard for dogs to digest. How much chocolate will harm your dog depends on the size of your dog and the type of chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is for your dog. And smaller dogs need less amount of chocolate to show signs of illness. And the symptoms usually are vomiting, diarrhea, panting, and in severe cases, muscle tremors and seizures. The worst cases scenario is heart failure, but he would need to ingest a lot of theobromine for this to happen. vet visit.

Make some dog treats

As the Holidays are for spending time with your family, everybody should be happy and get to eat delicious food. That includes your dog. And dogs can be anxious around big gatherings of people, especially if you have family and friends to your new home. So it would be best if you did everything to help your dog adapt after moving. And dogs like food, and nothing will make them feel at home, like having delicious treats to eat during the Holidays. Luckily there are many Holiday-themed dogs treats you can make for them. They will appreciate it and be less anxious about being in a new home.

In conclusion

There are many, many foods served during the Holidays that can be dangerous to your pets and you will need to be very careful.  One of the best ways to avoid any issues is to help maintain normal dogs’ eating habits. And no matter how much your puppy stares at you while you are eating, you need to resist giving him some of your food. You would be doing him more harm than good if you gave him leftover bones, chocolate, ham, or onions.