Holiday Leftovers Are Not For the Dog

It’s the holiday season. We love spending time with family and friends, cooking and baking delicious meals, but it’s important to remember that holiday food that fills our table, is not what we should be sharing with the family dog. 

Even with sad puppy eyes, whining, barking, or sitting politely in anticipation of what will fall on the floor, you should not be sharing any part of your holiday meal with your dog. Foods that your dog is not used to eating, combined with high-fat foods or foods that are actually dangerous for a dog to consume, can turn a holiday meal into a nightmare. From pancreatitis to gastric upset, vomiting to diarrhea, rich foods meant for human consumption are not what you want your dog to eat.

Let house guests, family members and visiting children know that it’s not OK to feed Fluffy under the table. If they are really intent on feeding treats to your dog, give them some dog treats and explain that the treats should be given to the dog as a reward for proper behavior, like sitting or laying down.

After the meal, make sure your trash is thrown out and secured in an outside garbage can, away from the dog. No one wants to wake up the morning after a big family meal to find a mess strewn about the kitchen floor and sick dog huddled in the corner of the living room.

Check out our infographic below, for a quick list of items you should never feed your dog. Print it out and post it on the refrigerator for all family members and house guests to see. Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.