Handle with Care When it Comes to Christmas Candy and Other Party Treats

Dec 13
08:14

2011

Bob B. Hamilton

Bob B. Hamilton

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Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year to celebrate. Many owners give their dogs human food during this time as a treat. Although some human foods are safe to give them, many are not. You will especially need to be careful with all of the candy and other party treats that will be around during Christmas.

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Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year to celebrate.  Many owners give their dogs human food during this time as a treat.  Although some human foods are safe to give them,Handle with Care When it Comes to Christmas Candy and Other Party Treats Articles many are not.  You will especially need to be careful with all of the candy and other party treats that will be around during Christmas.

During Christmas many people have lots of chocolate lying around the house.  It is vital for you to never let your dog eat too much chocolate.  It contains theobromine as well as caffeine which are very toxic to dogs.  They can easily die if they consume too much.

Although all types of chocolate are toxic to dogs, some are worse than others.  Dark chocolate contains a lot of theobromine when compared to milk chocolate so it is much more toxic.  It is important to note that drinking chocolate will cause problems as well.

Many people cook turkeys and chickens during Christmas.  It is safe to give your dog a very small amount of either.  However, you do not want to give him any meat that is still on the bone.  Plenty of dog owners think that giving their pet a bone is a good idea.

Howeverpoultry bones can easily get stuck in your dog's throat.  Even if they make it all the way down, they may splinter and cause internal lacerations.  You should avoid giving your dog too much turkey or chicken even off the bone since they may develop problems with their gastrointestinal systems.

You should also remember that dogs will hunt for food in the home, so you should not just toss scraps in the garbage and leave them there.  You can keep your dog from getting to the scraps by making sure the lid is fitted tightly onto the garbage can or even immediately taking the scraps outside to the exterior trash can.

Another thing dog owners have to be careful of during Christmas is the presence of toxic plants.  Lots of people have mistletoe or poinsettias around this time.  Both are toxic to dogs, so make sure they are located somewhere they cannot be reached by your dog.

Be careful with all of the decorations you have lying around too.  Tinsel, plastic bags and ornaments that are sharp can all harm your dog. 

Christmas is a big time to celebrate.  Do your best to make the occasion as joyous as possible by preventing something bad from happening to your beloved pet.