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Vet Tech Tid Bits

The Holidays are Upon Us!

As we prepare for holiday gatherings there is no doubt there will be delicious food. When we have gatherings, our pets are often involved in the festivities, as they should be! With each holiday season we tend to see patients who have been eating all the yummy food, some items they can eat but perhaps didn't agree with them, and some items would be better left for the humans. While we aim to share with our furry companions please keep the following guidelines in mind to help keep Fido and Fluffy as happy and healthy as possible during this Holiday Season.

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​Safe Foods to Share:

  • Turkey Meat (No Bones, No Skin)

  • Sweet Potatoes

  • Pumpkin

  • Apples

  • Green beans

  • Plain peas

  • Plain Yogurt (be sure to avoid anything with Xylitol)

Foods to avoid and Why:

  • Bones from the meats that have been cooked. Bones can splinter and cause cuts in the GI tract.

  • Skins: we tend to see this cause pancreatitis.

  • Creamed Peas/Casseroles/Mashed Potatoes/Stuffing or Dressing: all contain extra fats like butter, oils, and creams which can cause pancreatits or other digestive upsets

  • Chocolate (as in cookies, pies, fudge and other sweets): Chocolate itself contains both theobromine (a chemical which is toxic to dogs) and caffeine. These can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting or restlessness, excessive urination, and increased heart rate. In severe cases muscle tremors and seizures can occur.

  • Grapes and Raisens: can cause kidney failure

  • Onions/Scallions/Garlic: The visible effects from these are vomiting, diarrhea, and a reduced appetite. However, these are from a group of plants called alliums and contain toxins that can damage red blood cells causing anemia.

  • Ham and Fatty Foods: The main culprit we see in pancreatitis!

  • Yeast Dough (specifically uncooked dough): the pressure of the rising dough can mimic and cause bloat but pets can also get alcohol toxicosis. Alcohol toxicosis causes the central nervous system to become depressed, weakness, depression, an unsteady, druken gait, hypothermia, and possibly seizures

  • Corn on the Cob: while the corn itself is ok in limited quanitites the cobs should absolutely never be given to pets. As with corn, the cob doesn't break down and can cause and intestinal obstructions that can only be surgically removed.

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