Holiday meals can be all-too-tempting to peckish pets, who may forget their manners and decide to help themselves! Take Sam, a rottweiler, and Pete, a Chihuahua, for example. They had been left home alone for a while following a Thanksgiving feast when Kathleen Summers, HSUS director of puppy mills outreach and research, came back to find they had gotten into the trash and fought over the leftovers.
“Pete was nipped on the head,” Summers says. “His vet visit was expensive, but we were very lucky that both dogs recovered, and no one required surgery. Also, that our big, old rottie showed incredible restraint when battling Pete for the scraps—he was ten times Pete’s size!”
Trash-diving and other pet misadventures are common during the holiday season, making it important to exercise extra caution around table scraps. Bones can easily splinter and cause internal damage—even death. (Luckily, plant-based dishes are bone-free!) Make sure your kitchen trash can has a lid or cover; if you’ve thrown away a lot of food, consider taking it straight to the curb so the scent doesn’t entice your pets to investigate.
If you’re hosting a dinner, keep an eye on your animals who might be hoping you’re too distracted preparing and entertaining to notice they’re sniffing out the table settings.
“One year, our dog ate an entire stick of butter off the dining room table,” says Lynsey White, HSUS director of humane wildlife conflict resolution. “My sister, who is a vet, tried to induce vomiting, but it didn’t work right away. Of course, Lily finally threw up a foamy mess on the kitchen rug while we were eating Thanksgiving dinner!”
High-fat holiday foods can cause painful pancreatitis in dogs. If you suspect your pet has ingested something inappropriate—food or otherwise—“err on the side of caution,” advises Dr. Barbara Hodges, program director of advocacy and outreach at the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Alliance. Immediately contact your veterinarian, the nearest emergency clinic or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center hotline (888-426-4435) for advice.
My dog, Okja, thinks any stuffie-looking ornaments are just dog toys on a tree, so we have to put them up high. In one case, she took down the Loch Ness Monster ornament and instead of tearing the whole thing apart, just ripped off all its spots.
Marie Langlois, staff attorney of Animal Protection Law
While our tables are laden with tantalizing treats, our homes are also brimming with decorations that can pose unique threats.
Kristin Stone, senior managing editor of digital marketing at Humane Society International, recalls her family using tinsel when she was a kid. “One year, our cat ate some. It took $2,000 in surgery—in 1980s dollars—so it wouldn’t wrap around his intestines and kill him,” she says.
Pine needles can get lodged in the intestinal tract, puncturing the lining or bunching together and causing an intestinal obstruction. Popular holiday plants, such as poinsettias and mistletoe, can also be dangerous to animals.
“Holiday decorations of all kinds are often bright and shiny and interesting to our pets—but they can become dangerous toys,” says Hodges. “When decking your tree, windows and other areas of your home, make sure to secure decorations firmly and place them out of reach of your pets. And remember, cats are curious and athletic—some will climb quite high to reach these tempting baubles. Strands of holiday lights can be pet strangulation hazards, and battery-operated lights are safer than electric lights in terms of fire risk.”
Though of course accidents happen, taking simple precautions will help ensure a happy, safe and healthy holiday season for all.
Skip the scraps
Chocolate, coffee, garlic, onions, raisins and more can be dangerous for your pets. Learn what other foods and plants can be poisonous, plus more holiday pet safety tips.
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