WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER:  Holiday Left-Over No-No’s – Do NOT Give These to Your Dog

If you’ve got fewer guests and more leftovers this year, don’t just give them to your dog.

A lot of the stuff we eat at the holidays isn’t good for pets, at all.

So before you give them anything, do your research.  We’ve done some of it for you.

In general, avoid anything with lots of ingredients, like butter, salt, and other spices.  Here are some of the worst leftovers for pets:

  1. Turkey (or ham, any meat, really) after it’s been seasoned.  Unseasoned is okay, and white meat is better than dark.  But don’t give them the skin.  And never give them the carcass, because the bones can splinter and mess up their insides.
  2. Garlic or onions.  Enough of them can mess with their red blood cell count.  The same goes for chives and scallions.  So things like stuffing and gravy are off limits.
  3. Raisins, grapes, or currants.  While you don’t want to rush your dog to the vet if they just eat one, and seem fine; those things CAN cause kidney failure in dogs, and some types of cats.  So be safe and don’t give them any.  If it would make a good jelly, it’s bad for doggie’s belly.  
  4. Baked goods, especially if they’re sugar-free.  It’s true that too much sugar can cause pancreatitis (so things like pie and whipped cream aren’t good).  But sugar-free stuff is even worse for pets.  There’s a sugar substitute called xylitol(ZYE-leh-tall)It can make their blood sugar plummet and cause liver failure.  It tends to happen fast, so be really careful with anything sugar-free.

Learn more, here:  (NY Post / ASPCA / AKC

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