As 2024 crashes and burns to an end, our mouths are watering. It’s time to wash our hands, give thanks for the gifts we are about to receive, and chow down.
The holidays deliver excitement, whether in the form of a jolly open house and ginormous family dinner or just keeping a fresh half-gallon of eggnog on hand in an otherwise nuthin’-but-ice-and-lights fridge.
How you choose to let the freak flag fly and kick out the jams this Thanksgiving and ensuing holiday season is all about how you choose to rock it. But your pets need to be protected from our human excesses. If you’re lucky enough to be in attendance at a rowdy family hootenanny with your dog or cat, all sorts of mayhem may ensue. And even if you’re going stag/doe all by your lonesome for the duration, chances are that you’re bringing home new temptations, from salty, spicy, sweet holiday foods to packing Styrofoam “peanuts” found in gift shipments (cats love to send these skittering across a hardwood floor) to crinkly, crackly ribbons and bows that cats inexplicably love to chew and swallow.
All of the above can land your pet in the ER. We’ll get to the menu hazards in a sec, but first, consider a few behavioral hacks to keep your pets safe on Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season.
A quick decor tip: Christmas is still four weeks away, but festive mistletoe and poinsettias may be on their way into your home. Both plants are considered toxic to pets (and some people), so keep them well out of chewing range.
When you invite people over, ask in advance if they’re allergic or simply not animal folk. Knowing this before we all sit down to eat will provide some guidelines for how to manage your critters this holiday season.
Then, have a heart-to-heart with Sheba or Fido. Use your personal knowledge of your specific pet to devise a plan.
What’s all-important, regardless of your pet’s personality: keep your animals secured in anticipation of lots of coming and going. Parties, deliveries, and the arrivals and departures of house guests mean a disruption in your pet’s daily schedule and pets, like ourselves, are creatures of habit.
Chances are that the holidays will mean that your front door is open more often than usual, and a pet may suddenly bolt. With this in mind, be sure that your pet is microchipped, has a collar with a current ID, and maybe even a GPS tracker if possible.
Some dogs love meeting new people. A few cats also do. Regardless, be sure that as guests arrive, your pet is not able to race out into the world unsupervised: coyotes are hungry, too, and there’s more disorienting auto traffic than usual on our streets during the holidays.
If possible, designate a Doggy Deputy among your party guests. Similar to a designated driver to keep motorists safe, your Doggie Deputy will take your dog for a walk or a Frisbee toss every hour. Removing the dog from the party setting for even 15 minutes every hour or so for a little playtime will allow your pet to release some of its natural excitement, which may manifest as nervousness otherwise. Provide leash and toys for the Doggy Deputy’s tour of duty.
If your dog wants to meet everybody, great. First, be sure that fragile items and lighted candles are located far above that wildly wagging tail. Second, call upon your dog’s training to keep your pet from jumping up and overwhelming already-sugar-crazed littles and gift-bearing grannies.
If your cats are like most, they will not be amused, especially if squealy, grabby little ones are on the guest list. If this is the case, feel free to lock your feline in a well-appointed suite of your choosing while you’re entertaining. The bedroom, a bath, a laundry room — all fine. It’s temporary. Start preparing your apology now. Of course, provide your cat with fresh litter, cozy bedding, water, food, comforting toys and a Crinkle Ball. These diabolical-seeming toys are actually great for cats who want to chew plastic. They crunch and crackle but don’t flake off dangerous pieces that cats can swallow.
And what about other pets? Drafts from open doors and windows on a chilly day may be harmful to birds and small mammals, so place these pets in a quiet, protected spot where the air temperature is comfortable and constant.
Now, on to the feast. No judgment from this author, who seemingly lived on raw slice-and-bake cookie dough during a few especially bohemian life seasons. But do know that the foods we tend to associate with celebration — we may even consider these foods “naughty” — are absolutely no good for your pets.
Granted, this is the season to kick your shoes off, let your hair down and eat whatever you damn please. But even small doses of these pretty poisons can put your cherished animal in a world of hurt.
One traditional treat that is usually okay for your pets: the contents of that weird giblet bag stuffed w-a-a-a-a-a-y in the back of the turkey. Remove the gizzard, heart, liver and poach briefly in plain water. Do not add seasonings. Slice off a small piece for your beasts and reserve a bit for later.
And a friendly alert to my fellow fashionistas: if you wear press-on or glue-on nails, do slip on a pair of household gloves while pawing through the cavity. Many a press-on has gone to a turkey-licious death while cleansing and stuffing the bird of the hour, kind of like discovering a fève in a King Cake, except gross.
- Spices, in general, aren’t going to sit right with your pets. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper – these liven up a holiday cookie and roast but can make your pet miserable.
- Salty snacks. Large amounts of sodium may result in tremors and seizures.
- Alcohol in general – even a bite of rum-soaked fruit cake – a definite no-no. The sugar is part of the problem, too.
- Leeks, onions, garlic. These savories may be present in gravy, stuffing and on the relish plate. Whether raw or cooked, these members of the allium family can cause oxidative injury to red blood cells in cats and dogs, causing the cells to rupture and potentially causing hemolytic anemia. Massive tummy trouble may ensue.
- Seasoned poultry. There are those of us who like the crispy skin of a roasted fowl even more than the meat underneath. But that potato-chip-like morsel will irritate the digestion of a cat or dog. The meat of a bird that has been brined is also loaded with salt, pepper and spices your pet doesn’t need. A small bite of plain, boiled turkey is a safe alternative.
- Cooked bones. The cooking process makes bones more brittle than raw bones, and this often leads to the bone splintering in your pet’s mouth. Swallowing bone splinters may be deadly or, at the very least, painful, dangerous, and costly to remove. Potential outcomes include broken teeth, mouth injuries, constipation, and, most concerning, a blockage or perforation in the intestinal tract. That can also cause peritonitis or inflammation around the stomach tissue.
- Dairy foods. Forget the kitty with the saucer of cream. Forget that 1970s Gaines-Burgers television ad that queried, “Is your dog getting enough cheese?” Be aware that most mashed potato dishes and classic mac-and-cheese (duh) contain butter, cream, milk, cheese, and garlic. And, of course, keep your eggnog to yourself, especially if it contains alcohol of any kind. Many pets are lactose-intolerant, so indulging can lead to cramps and Hershey squirts.
- Bacon. Beware the yummy perils of Rumaki, those bacon-wrapped, chicken liver appetizers that invite both human and canine binge-ing. The high fat content can lead to pancreatitis. Also, avoid giving your pets bites of super-salty, seasoned holiday ham.
- Raw dough. Get your biscuits in the oven, to quote the late, great Kinky Friedman. Yeast activity causes raw dough to expand like a balloon, potentially causing intestinal blockages and painful twisting of the stomach known as gastric-dilation volvulus. The fermentation involved produces ethanol, which may cause alcohol poisoning when raw dough is eaten in large amounts.
- Stuffing, biscuits, aka white bread. The oil and sugar can trigger pancreatitis, especially in Schnauzers.
- Sweet potatoes and yams are safe for pets when served absolutely plain. In fact, a small serving of these cooked tubers can be helpful for a cat who isn’t eating. But when all dolled up the way we like it with salt, milk, brown sugar, marshmallows…this holiday favorite goes to the Naughty Spot.
- Pumpkin pie requires the same scrutiny. A bite of plain, cooked pumpkin is fine for pets, but not when it’s whipped up into a sweet, spicy holiday pie.
- Green bean casserole, ditto. Plain green beans can be a great treat for pets, but not when casseroled with cream. onion, and French onion topping.
- Chocolate. That much sugar in a 30 lb. dog or a 7 lb. cat…well, just think about what that Halloween candy did to your 4-year-old. Oodles of caffeine may produce muscle tremors, abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythm, vomiting, and diarrhea. And don’t think for a minute that sugar-free treats containing xylitol, sorbitol and other manufactured chemicals are safe for your pets. This sweetener is especially dangerous for dogs, producing jaundice and other signs of liver damage.
- Cranberry sauce, cranberries, currants, grapes and raisins. May trigger acute kidney distress in pets.
If your pet begins throwing up, convulsing or is obviously in distress- or if you just suspect your pet has eaten a forbidden food- call your vet and pet hospital immediately. Their hours may be sketchy from now until January, so keep these important numbers on hand as well:
Pet Poison Helpline®: 855-764-7661 (an $85 consultation fee will apply)
ASPCA® Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply)
This week’s pets in need of homes:
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