The holidays are here, and many of us are spreading good cheer with plenty of food and mistletoe, too! We also love to include our dogs and holiday celebrations, awesome even dressing up our dogs and allowing them to run freely during holiday parties. However, there are talks of Christmas foods and plans for dogs that you need to keep an eye on.
Keeping these plants and foods away from your pet is a matter of life or death. Nobody wants to take a trip to the emergency vet during a Christmas party, or experience a devastating event with your pet.
The good news is that the digestion of these foods or plants is entirely preventable. With this list in hand, you can make sure that everybody in your family has a Holly Jolly holiday, including your pet!
Toxic Christmas Foods For Dogs
Let’s start off with a list of toxic Christmas foods for dogs, pertaining to both cats and dogs. This is a list that you absolutely do not want to allow your pet to have, under any circumstances. If you have guests over for holiday parties, be sure that they know to never feed these foods to your pet.
Chocolate
When it comes to dangerous foods for dogs, chocolate is perhaps the most widely recognized, and with good reason. The column of chocolate is a chemical called theobromine, which is a little bit like having. These chemicals are found in chocolate and it is toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of this chemical can result in diarrhea, hyperactivity, vomiting, tremors, and even problems with the heart or death in the most severe cases.
The most dangerous type of chocolate for dogs is dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the more you will find more potent levels of the dangerous theobromine chemical. This means that baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous.
You should never give a dog any type of chocolate under any circumstances. Do not put chocolate on the Christmas tree, or on small tables that large dogs will be able to reach.
What to do if Your Dog Eats Chocolate
What happens if your dog eats chocolate? The risk of chocolate consumption depends on the weight of your dog. Also, keep in mind that white chocolate is very low risk unless it contains a substance such as raisins. If your dog ingest dark chocolate, you must seek urgent vet care immediately. This is the most dangerous type of chocolate for dogs. If your dog consumes cocoa powder, this is 7 times more dangerous to your dogs and dark chocolate! Seeking immediate veterinary care is the best chance of saving your dog’s life.
Candy
In addition to chocolate, candy in general is not good for your dog. This is because too much sugar can give your dog a stomach ache. But the worst part is that swallowing wrappers can be dangerous. Candy wrappers can get caught in the esophagus or intestines. To avoid the situation, the best course of action is to keep candy out of sight from your dog and be sure to throw wrappers away in a trash can.
Grapes and Raisins
Whether it’s grapes from a fruit tray or raisins inside of cookies, both of these items are very dangerous to dogs. Ingestion of grapes and raisins are dangerous because they can result in severe kidney failure. A perfectly healthy dog can go into kidney failure within a very short amount of time if they ingest grapes and raisins.
Just like chocolate, if your dog happens to have just a grape or raisin, get them to the emergency vet immediately. However, know that not all dogs have an adverse effect on eating raisins. As of now, science does not have an answer as to why some dogs can ingest grapes and raisins without issue, while others die from it. Either way, it is not worth the risk to play roulette from raisins and grapes. Be sure to take your dog to the emergency vet immediately upon consumption of these items. If you get to the veterinarian in time, they may be able to remove the contents from the stomach.
Onions
As you make your favorite recipes during the holiday season, keep in mind that onions are also dangerous to dogs. This also applies to garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks. If your dog ingests one of these food products, you may notice that they are vomiting and have diarrhea. You may notice the side effects for several days after ingestion.
Alcohol
Ringing in the holidays with spirits in hand may sound like a fun occasion, but it’s not safe for your dog to join. If your dog ingests alcohol, they will likely have the same symptoms as when a human drinks alcohol as well. You may see that they become wobbly and drowsy, but there is also a risk of lowering blood sugar, body temperature as well as going into a coma.
Macadamia Nuts
Be sure to include macadamia nuts on the list of toxic Christmas foods and plants for dogs. Macadamia nuts result in lethargy, increase body temperature, lameness and stiffness.
Cooked Bones
The famous nursery rhyme “This Old Man” might suggest giving your dog a bone, but this is not a good idea during the holidays or any other time of year. You may cook bones for broth, but do not attempt to give your dog cooked bones after you are done with it. Your dog may be more than happy to use the bone for chewing, but pieces of the bone can break off and tear the inner lining of the esophagus and intestines. This is an extremely dangerous situation, resulting in a medical emergency. Avoid giving your dog any kind of cooked bones at all costs.
Safe Christmas Foods for Dogs
The good news is that there are safe Christmas foods for your dog to eat this holiday season. They can have turkey meat, but not the skin or the bones. They can also have salmon fillets, lamb meat with no bones, scrambled eggs, green beans, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes without butter, and even sweet potatoes.
If you have doubts about the type of food that you are giving your dog during the holidays, please reach out to us with questions. We would rather you be safe and ask us if it is okay to feed your dog a certain type of food, no matter how silly you feel asking about it!
Toxic Christmas Plants for Dogs
Does your holiday decorating include the use of plants that are popular for Christmas? Plants like poinsettias can be beautiful, but they are also toxic to dogs. Read on to learn about toxic Christmas plants for dogs and be sure to keep them out of your dog’s reach.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias are poisonous to dogs, but it is debatable if poinsettias are lethal in most cases. Symptoms of poinsettia ingestion include irritation of the mouth and overproduction of saliva, as well as vomiting. If you have a cat in the house, keep in mind that poinsettias are toxic to cats as well. It’s always best to keep poinsettias out of the reach of dogs and cats.
Holly
Holly is a beautiful Christmas plant. While it is toxic to dogs, it is considered as low toxicity. Either way, it is not good for your dog to ingest Holly. This is because the holly berries may result in an upset stomach.
Mistletoe
The level of toxicity of mistletoe depends on the variation of the species. European mistletoe berries will likely give your dog an upset stomach. However, the American species of mistletoe is much more dangerous. Keep both species of mistletoe Out Of Reach of your dog for safety.
Christmas Tree
Hopefully your dog doesn’t find the consumption of pine needles enjoyable. But if your dog happens to eat part of the Christmas tree, the pine will likely cause an upset stomach. However, the larger cause of concern comes from internal damage from sharp needles.
Ivy
Yet another toxic Christmas plant to dogs is Ivy. This is the ivy that is typically used in decoration and wreaths. This is known as a Hedera Helix species and not the American poison ivy species. Ingesting this ivy can result in upset stomach as long as irritation with prolonged skin contact. Another issue that may arise from consuming ivy includes irritants and allergic reactions.
Contact us with Questions about Toxic Christmas Food and Plants for Dogs
We invite you to please contact us if you are concerned about a specific food that your dog may have ingested. If the food or plant is not on this list, it is still a good idea to give us a call. Even if it turns out that the food is safe for your dog to eat, it is better to be safe than sorry. The staff at our offices wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!
