(WSIL) —ÌýThe holidays are right around the corner and that means so is the food.ÌýWhile delicious, that holiday food can be harmful to pets.
Kay Creese, veterinarian at St. Francis CARE Animal Shelter explains,Ìý"They will get sick. They can’t handle that much grease and fat and butter and all the rest of that stuff."
Creese says that holiday foods can be a recipe for disaster when given to pets.
"The big thing for any of the holidays is people typically fix a big turkey, and after the meal, they like to take the pan of drippings and stuff and put it down for the dogs to eat ."
Pan drippings don’t only cause an upset stomach.
"Because of the high grease content and fat content, you’re looking at probably treating for pancreatitis, which is very expensive and requires hospitalization and can be fatal.ÌýIt’s not worth it."
Another big foodÌýto avoid is chocolate.
Creese says,Ìý"Chocolates can be very lethal for a dog.ÌýJust put them up in a cabinet when you’re not around, or you can’t supervise because they like chocolate, and they will get into it."
A few other foods that are toxic to pets are onions, grapes, and raisins.Ìý
"They can’t properly process them, and they’re really hard on the kidneys."
If you just can’t resist sharing your holiday meal, Creese says there is one thing the pets can enjoy.
"If you really really want to give your animal a little treat, a little piece of the white turkey meat will be fine unless the dog has some sort of health issue that they can’t. But your average dog can have a little piece of the white meat, but in moderation."
If your animal eats something it shouldn’t and becomes ill, contact your local veterinarian immediately.Ìý For more information on St. Francis CARE, click Ìý
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