Why You Should Avoid Giving Your Dog Holiday Leftovers (And What to Give Instead)

Every dog parent loves to bake cookies with their pets. Are you too one of those? If you love to bake Christmas cookies with your dog and share that cookie dough with that sweet little creature, then you need to be a little aware.

Not everything that you can eat is safe for your dog. Your dog is a different being than you. It has its own specific health and body requirements. That’s why special dog treats are made for them.

But what will happen if you feed your pet with your food? Why can they not eat what you eat? And what can you feed your dog instead of holiday leftovers during this holiday season? Don’t worry, we’ll give answers to all these questions.

Why Holiday Leftovers are Not Good for Your Dogs?

So, as mentioned earlier, not everything that you can eat your dog can not. There are many health complications related to it that once you get to know them you won’t be feeding these to your pet. So, let’s see why holiday food is not meant for your little pup.

Incompatible Ingredients

The ingredients that are used in our food, such as chocolate or coffee, are toxic for dogs. You should never feed your dog with these. There are many more ingredients that we use in making holiday dishes, for example turkey.

Though plain turkey is perfectly healthy for your pup, when it is seasoned and cooked for you, it becomes unhealthy for your doggo. So, you can give your dog raw meat or cooked one without seasoning and skin but not the completely prepared dishes.

Following are some of the human foods that you need to avoid giving your pet:

• Avocado

• Chocolate

• Coffee/Tea

• Alcohol

• Grapes/Raisins

• Yeast Dough

• Salt and Other Spices

• Readymade Baked Items

• Sweet Candies

Digestive Issues

When you feed your dog with human food that is not meant for them, it leads to various digestive issues. Since your pet’s digestive system is not built the same as yours, it is not able to digest the food as you do.

What you can digest, your pet can not, like chocolate, and what you can not digest, your pet can such as bully sticks. Your pet can suffer from food poisoning which can lead to diarrhea and vomiting.

If you keep feeding your pet with human food items that are not meant for them, then it can lead to long-term health issues like obesity, kidney damage, and pancreatitis. So, try to avoid feeding your pet with such items and opt for pet food that is healthy for your pup.

Choking Hazard

Some human foods not only contain harmful ingredients but can also become a choking hazard for your pet. Foods, such as nuts and small bones, are not safe for your dogs. These can be choking hazards for them.

Though dogs love chewing, they do not chew their food properly most of the time. So, if you feed them with this type of human food, there are chances that they might swallow it without chewing properly.

What Can You Treat Your Dog with Instead of Leftovers?

Well, if you have holiday leftovers, then you have to finish that on your own; your dog can’t help you with that. So, if you can’t feed your dog with holiday leftovers, then how can you make your pet’s Christmas special? Here are some of the Christmas and Thanksgiving dog treats that you can feed your dog instead of your holiday food.

Home-Made Holiday Dog Treats

Since you are making Gingerman cookies for yourself, you can make something for your pet as well. These homemade treats would not only be healthy for your doggo but also full of flavors to make your pet’s holiday season special.

To prepare these homemade holiday treats for dogs, you simply need to pick those ingredients that are safe for them. For example, you can make chicken and rice balls, banana-peanut butter-oats bites, sweet potato crisps, carrot or pumpkin cookies, etc.

All these items are safe for your dog and easy to make. You can look on the internet for many more dog-friendly homemade treats and add some holiday spirit to your pet’s life.

Healthy Dog Treats

If you are not the kind of person who loves cooking and baking, then there are so many options for healthy dog treats in the market. The best part is if you are buying something for your pet that is specially made for dogs, it won’t contain any such ingredient that is not meant for dogs.

However, you can not blindly buy pet food or dog treats for your special pup. You need to make sure that the treat you choose includes healthy ingredients and is safe for your doggo.

For example, rawhide is a bad dog treat choice, and you should avoid it at all costs. Instead, you can choose a healthy alternative, like bully sticks or collagen sticks. These are some of the healthy Christmas dog treats that provide good nutrition to your pet and don’t let your dog become obese.

What to Do When Your Dog Has Consumed Something Harmful?

Even after you have all the strength to avoid feeding your dog unhealthy food that is not meant for it, your dog has consumed something. Well, it can happen as dogs love to chew and most of the time you don’t even know what they are chewing.

In such a case, you should immediately command your dog to spit that food out or you can take it out with your hands. On the other hand, if you are not aware that your dog has eaten something that it shouldn’t, then follow the following steps.

• Look for Food Poisoning Symptoms: The first thing you need to do is look for any symptoms that are directed toward food poisoning. These symptoms can include diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy.

• Take Immediate Steps: The next step is to call a vet for advice or take your pet to the vet for immediate treatment.

Bottom Line

So what if you can’t feed your dog holiday leftovers, there is plenty of food that is made specially for your pet. You can add your holiday touch to these treats and make your dog’s holiday special.

You just need to make sure that you are not feeding any unhealthy items to your pet. Do a little research about what is healthy for your dog and what is not. Once you are done with that, feed your pet accordingly and celebrate the holiday season with your lovely doggo.