The holiday season brings with it hectic holiday preparations and guests and our pets often get caught up in the excitement. There are stressors of strange people in the home and an overload of new smells and objects.
Pets may not be as closely supervised during this chaotic time and therefore may be exposed to foods they are normally not exposed to. Numerous pets are seen in emergency veterinary hospitals every holiday season as a result of food hazards. The last thing you want to do as a pet owner is sit in an animal emergency hospital with a critically ill pet when it can easily be avoided.
With this in mind, let’s focus on foods that may be hazardous to pets during the holidays and signs of exposure. It is important to note that among our pets there are species differences. This simply means that different species may metabolize substances differently. What may be extremely toxic for cats may be only mildly toxic for dogs. What may be good for humans can be toxic for our pets.
The center of most holiday meals is the turkey or ham. You or your guests may be tempted to slip Fido a morsel of fat or a bone to gnaw on. Fatty table scraps including gravy, and turkey skin can cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Bones should never be fed to dogs or cats. The pet can choke on the bones or if ingested may become lodged in the intestines causing an obstruction or perforated bowel.
Ingestion of chocolate can result in potentially life threatening heart rhythm abnormalities and central nervous system disturbances. The toxic substances in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine.
Not all chocolate is the same. The type of chocolate and the amount ingested will determine the amount of toxins.
From highest to lowest amount of toxin in chocolate, cocoa powder has the highest amount of toxin. Unsweetened (baker’s) chocolate, semisweet chocolate and sweet dark chocolate and milk chocolate have lower amounts of toxin.
Signs of poisoning usually begin within six to 12 hours of eating chocolate. The animal may become excessively thirsty, vomit, have diarrhea and become restless. Signs may progress to hyperactivity, lack of coordination, tremors, and seizures.
A rapid and irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing, a bluish tinge to the skin and mucous membranes, high blood pressure, fever and coma may develop. It is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible after ingestion for the best prognosis.
Animals showing signs of chocolate poisoning will be stabilized with medications for tremors, seizures and heart rhythm abnormalities. The veterinarian may elect to induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal to absorb the ingested toxins.
It is important to have product label information available when calling your veterinarian or a national or regional poison control hotline for animals. In general, the treatment for chocolate poisoning is most effective if begun soon after ingestion and before large amounts are absorbed into the blood.
Ingestion of raisins and grapes can lead to kidney failure, especially in dogs. The amount of grapes associated with kidney injury in dogs is about 32 grams per kilogram of the dogs weight. Dogs will develop vomiting and/or diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weakness, excessive thirst and tremors. Kidney failure develops within one to three days and may result in death.
Raw bread dough made with yeast poses hazards when eaten. Although all species can be affected, dogs are most commonly affected. The warm moist environment of the dog’s stomach acts as a incubator for yeast to replicate expanding the dough’s mass and releasing carbon dioxide.
This causes abdominal distention and a potential life threatening condition called gastric dilatation-volvulous (GDV). The distention of the stomach reduces blood flow to the stomach wall and can result in difficulty breathing.
Further, the yeast and sugar in the unbaked dough are metabolized to alcohol which may result in alcohol poisoning and metabolic abnormalities. Early signs include unproductive attempts to vomit, a distended stomach and depression. It is important to seek medical help immediately.
Xylitol is a natural sugar free sweetener found in many foods including baked goods, certain brands of peanut butter, gums, mints, etc. When ingested by dogs it can result in massive insulin spikes, causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure with high doses. Symptoms of xylitol ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and abdominal pain.
Onions, leeks, chives, and garlic are somewhat overhyped but cats are especially sensitive to the effects of these herbs. When ingested they can cause severe anemia (low red blood cell counts).
While this is not an exhaustive list of foods that are harmful to our pets, it discusses the more common foods our pets may come in contact with over the holidays. Let’s keep our pets safe my asking visiting guests not dole out goodies unless they are pet treats.
No matter how vigilant pet owners may be accidents can happen in which it is wise to have the telephone numbers of your veterinarian, nearest animal emergency hospital and pet poison control service.
Newberry County Humane Society welcomes pet owners and interested parties as part of our membership. Visit our Facebook page Newberry County Humane Society of SC or contact us at nchs29108@yahoo.com or 803-413-5206. We meet the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Springfield Place Chapel in Newberry.