FOOD RELATED TEMPTATIONS

• Pets' highly sensitive noses pick up scents before humans can. Therefore, don't be surprised when Fluffy and Fido are underfoot in the kitchen while Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday goodies are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. The pets can easily tip them over causing severe scalding and burns to themselves.  
• Uncooked yeast dough can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines. Grapes and raisins contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys. Macadamia nuts contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscles of dogs.
• Remember, dogs have an exceptional sense of smell – juices on plastic or aluminum foil left on countertops are very tempting. If ingested, plastic or foil wrap (cellophane candy wrappers or food wrap) can cause choking or intestinal obstruction.  Meat-soaked strings from rump roasts are also enticing. Ingestion can cause a serious problem that may require surgical correction.  To be safe, put away food immediately and pet-proof your garbage. Garbage contains all kinds of other hazards for your dog such as plastic wrap and bags, 6-pack beverage holders that could cause strangulation, fat trimmings, bones, and pieces of ribbon or tinsel.
• Feed your pet(s) before a party so they will not be so apt to beg or steal food.
• No Bones Please:BONES ARE DANGEROUS! Avoid giving bones to your dogs or cats, particularly turkey bones. Poultry bones easily splinter easily and can cause serious injury, while bone fragments can cause intestinal blockages or lacerations causing pain and sometimes death. Though it's so tempting, don't give your pet large quantities of cooked turkey and ham during the holidays. Again, human food is too rich; overfeeding of human food can cause additional health problems and feeding human food will often lead to unsatisfactory eating habits when given pet food at their regular mealtimes. Consumption of human food can also result in pitiful begging, an aggravating habit hard to break, when the family sits down for meals. Don't feed pets the cooled drippings either. Human seasonings aren't good for pets, plus the fact that the rich stock and drippings can easily upset pets' digestive systems.
• Healthy Treats: Chocolate and other sweets should not be given to animals. Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that can be deadly to cats and dogs, though not harmful to humans. Theobromine in the chocolate is the culprit and there is more in dark chocolate than milk or light chocolate.  1/2 oz per pound of dog is enough to be fatal! The foil wraps on candies can cause internal injuries if swallowed - the foil can be like a razor as it is swallowed and ingested. Keep all candies and their wrappers in a secured place. The best thing you can do for your pets over the holidays is to keep them on their regular diet. Look for special animal treats instead of giving your pets cookies or sweets meant for people. Other holiday treats, alcoholic beverages, rich, fatty food scraps and bones can be harmful or toxic to pets. Keep your pet on his regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet "special treats.

Please visit the ASPCA website for more information regarding foods that could be poisonous and dangerous to pets at www.aspca.org/apcc
or call (888) 426-4435