Sweet treats, holiday scraps could be harmful for pets
BY PET TALK
Published: November 13, 2008
Sweet treats and family meals are a hallmark of the holidays, but for many of our furry friends these indulgences can be dangerous, said Dr. Mark Stickney, director of general surgery services at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
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One of the major food dangers to our pets during the holidays and beyond is chocolate. Eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can cause toxicity in dogs and cats, which can result in death.
Although chocolate has long been a known toxin for dogs, other foods and vegetation can be harmful.
"Few people know this, but both grapes and raisins can cause renal failure in dogs,” Stickney said. "Easter lilies, or really any flower from the lily family, can cause kidney failure in cats.”
While these foods are especially dangerous, feeding any table scraps to your pets can cause them harm in the long run. Because of this, Stickney stresses the importance of keeping your pet’s diet regular year round.
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the Web at tamunews.tamu.edu.
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Well, this lab should be dead. He lived for nearly 7 years at a retreat encampment and ate near everything the humans left behind. He ate his weight in sausage biscuits. As for chocolate, at night he ate unbelievable amounts dark, milk, caramels, etc. He would always be there the next day to run a few miles up and down a 200 foot vertical hill. He's now retired from camp mascot work. He eats just dog food and takes one Aleve. But I'm sure he dreams of days of old.
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