The winter holiday season is upon us, and with it comes festive food with the family!
Everyone loves sharing tasty treats with their human family and furry friends alike—so let’s take a minute to see which holiday foods are safe for your pets to eat and which ones you should avoid sharing.
Pet-safe Foods
There is a large variety of food that dogs are allowed to enjoy along with their human companions. Let’s take a look at some of the common holiday fare that you can use to make a plate up for your pup:
- Roast turkey and chicken are common holiday feast staples. And cooked poultry is perfectly safe for dogs to eat! Just make sure that you feed them unseasoned portions with the bones removed and the fat trimmed away.
- Carrots and sweet potatoes usually have a place on the table, too. These orange root veggies are a great source of vitamin A! But remember to only feed your dog unseasoned vegetables, and only in moderation, as excess Vitamin A and sugar can be toxic to your pets.
- Plain, fresh green beans make a healthy snack for your pup! They can be served cooked or raw, but should be cut up to avoid choking.
Pet-toxic Foods
Next, let’s take a look at some of the common holiday foods that your pets should completely avoid for safe and happy holidays.
- It’s normal to cook things with onion and garlic, but these should not be served to your animals in any form. In large doses, these common aromatics can be toxic to both dogs and cats.
- Most people already realize that chocolate is toxic for dogs. Foods containing sugar, saltor xylitol are also bad for your pets, so to be safe, avoid sharing human desserts with your furry friends.
- Chestnuts roasting on an open fire are festive, but you should avoid letting your dog eat tree nuts, as some—like Macadamia nuts—are poisonous, and most are small enough to be choking hazards.
Has your furry friend had all the grooming and training that it needs to have a fantastic time with everyone at this year’s festivities? Visit the Animal America Pet Resort website for a look at the services we have to offer!
