One of the hardest things in life to resist are puppy dog eyes. Sure you can spare that little piece of meat or stuffing but don’t give in! What seems like a harmless hand-out could actually do more harm than good. Besides being a bad habit, greasy, spicy and fatty foods can upset your pets stomach resulting in indigestion and diarrhea. High fat content foods have been associated with inflammation in your pets pancreas, a potentially life threatening situation. There’s also an added danger with poultry bones. Besides being uncomfortable to swallow, they can splinter causing blockages, or worse, with some of the sharper fragments causing intestinal puncture. The last thing you want to be doing this holiday season is rushing to your local veterinary clinic for emergency surgery.

Other helpful tips to make sure your pet has a healthy and happy holiday season:

• Keep a watchful eye on older dogs. Delicate digestive tracts and a decreased ability to digest means they are particularly susceptible to severe indigestion and diarrhea.


• • Avoid feeding raw meat to your pets all year round. There are some diseases that animals and humans can share that could be passed on causing illness from unprocessed foods.

Keep the chocolate under wraps

Chocolate is on the list of many people’s indulgences, especially during the holiday. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for your dog. Chocolate contains Theobromine and Caffeine, both stimulants. Unsweetened bakers chocolate is especially high in both, with once ounce being enough to be cause toxicity in small dogs. Milk chocolate, although not as potent as bakers chocolate, should still be avoided at all costs as even small amounts nibbled on frequently can lead to toxicity.

Some symptoms of chocolate toxicity to watch out for are:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Increased thirst or urination
• Hyperactivity
• Seizures
• And rapid heart rate.