FOOD SAFETY FOR YOUR DOG DURING THE HOLIDAYS

THU, 19 NOV 2015 BY LINDA ROSADO

The holidays are a great time of year for the whole family, dogs included, to get together and enjoy the season of parties, traditions, and lots of delicious food. With all these festivities just around the corner, it’s easy for dog owners to overlook pet safety hazards that come up around this time. Dog owners should be extra cautious for their dogs’ wellbeing so they don’t ingest any foreign materials, such as: candy, chocolate, wrappers, decorations, fruits and the like.

Ingestion of any of these foods or objects can be fatal to a dog. While some symptoms may be mild and treatable, such as vomiting, diarrhea and an upset stomach, other symptoms can produce incurable consequences.

BEWARE OF FOREIGN OBJECTS

The best way to prevent dogs from getting sick during the holidays is to be organized and vigilant. While celebrating holidays at family and friends’ homes, if your pet is offered a treat, make sure the treat is specifically for dogs to consume. Throw away anything that is homemade or unpackaged if you’re unaware of what ingredients are in them. If you have children, teach them that it is unsafe to offer pets any candy or foreign food. Whenever you’re in doubt about what the food contains, stick to your pet’s routine diet.

CLEAN UP FOR YOUR DOG’S SAKE

Dogs get excited with new smells and new decorative “toys” are introduced around the home during the holidays. It’s important to be mindful of how these foreign objects affect your pets’ behavior. After a holiday meal or a night out with the whole family, be watchful of food on the floor, discarded wrappers and decorations around the home. Even stray trash removal bags can act as unexpected entertainment; you should keep them away from your pet. Dogs are already curious creatures, but the holidays make them more inquisitive and restless.

BETTER PREPARED THAN SORRY

If you notice any changes in your dog’s behavior, such as lack of appetite, sluggishness, coughing, vomiting or anything out of the ordinary, your dog may have consumed something hazardous to its system. Make sure your pet’s medicine, along with specific medicine if your dog has an upset stomach, is on hand in your home during the holidays. Also be mindful of your pet’s waste, as sometimes your pet can behave normally and still have something going wrong. If you’re cleaning up with DOGIPOT®’s litter pick up bags and notice some abnormalities, and unsure what the problem is, the best thing to do is to immediately call your vet.

There is nothing worse than your loved one’s health being at risk, so keep the holidays fun and jolly by taking preventative measures to keep your pets safe.