What To Avoid Feeding Dogs: Holiday Reminders

Thanksgiving isn’t too far away and Halloween is just around the corner. With all the new types of foods entering the house, now is a good time to review foods that can be toxic or very unhealthy for your dog. The list is surprisingly long and is not just limited to ‘chocolate’ – we at Scottsdale Pet Hotel hope that this will help you in assisting your dog with a longer, healthier life:

• Alcohol – This seems like an obvious product that you don’t want to give to your dog, but remember if you are hosting parties and cups of booze are left around the house, it would be easy for your pet to get into them. Put away all open cups during and after a party if your dog is amongst company.

• Chocolate – Halloween candy may be around your home as the Halloween season approaches, so make sure to keep everything with chocolate out of reach. Chocolate contains a chemical, that when eaten by your dog, can cause: vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.

• Raisins or Grapes – Surprisingly dogs should not eat grapes or raisins. It has been proven that this fruit can cause kidney failure. So, to stay on the safe side, keep this fruit out of your dog’s reach.

• Nuts – If you like laying out nuts for your parties, beware of: Macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans and walnuts. Macadamia nuts might be the most toxic to your dog. This nut can cause: weakness, tremors, hyperthermia and vomiting in your dog within 12 hours of ingestion. Other nuts contain high amounts of oil and fats can also cause vomiting, diarrhea and potentially pancreatitis.

• Undercooked Meat and Bones – If you are cooking up a big meal for Thanksgiving, it might be tempting to offer your dog bits of meat or bone. If the meat is raw, it can contain Salmonella or E. coli, which are as harmful to dogs as humans. Bones can splinter and puncture your dog’s digestive track or simply get stuck in their throat.

• Salty Snacks – Again, if hosting a party and you plan to leave out large bowls of salty chips or snacks, be cautious of your pet getting into these snacks. The snacks aren’t lethal, but there have been some cases of sodium ion poisoning in pets. Large amount of salt can cause vomiting, depression, tremors and elevated body temperatures.

• Halloween Candy (especially with Xylitol) – Xylitol is a sweetener often used in gum and candy. This chemical can cause insulin release in most species which can lead to liver failure. Symptoms that your dog has consumed xylitol can include: vomiting, lethargy and seizures.

Keeping your dog safe through the holidays just requires some understanding of what they can and cannot eat so that you can monitor your foods and drinks carefully.

About Scottsdale Pet Hotel: Located in beautiful Tempe, Arizona, Scottsdale Pet Hotel offers Cat and Dog Boarding, Pet Grooming as well as Doggy Day Care. For more information or to book a stay/service, visit http://www.ScottsdalePetHotel.com today!