From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, life gets busy. There’s cooking, shopping, traveling, and a house full of family, and your dog feels every bit of it. Their routine changes, there’s food everywhere, and there are new people coming and going. A little planning now keeps the holidays happy for the whole family, including the four-legged members.
Here’s what we tell our clients every year, from the dinner table to the road trip.
Holiday Foods That Aren’t Safe For Dogs
Holiday meals are full of foods that are fine for us and dangerous for dogs. These are the big ones:
- Turkey bones. Cooked poultry bones can splinter, cause choking, damage the digestive tract, or block the intestines.
- Turkey skin, fat, gravy, and drippings. Rich, fatty foods are hard for dogs to digest, and even small amounts can trigger pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas.
- Onions and garlic. They’re in the stuffing, the gravy, the green beans, and half the dishes on the table. Both are toxic to dogs.
- Grapes and raisins. They can cause kidney failure in some dogs, and even a small handful can be a problem for a smaller dog. Watch the fruit tray, raisin bread, and holiday cookies.
- Raw bread dough. The yeast keeps rising in your dog’s warm stomach, causing painful bloating, and it produces alcohol as it ferments.
- Chocolate. Baking chocolate and cocoa powder are the most dangerous, which means holiday baking is a real risk.
- Sugar-free desserts and gum. Xylitol can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage in dogs.
- Macadamia nuts. They can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors, and fever in dogs.
- Alcohol. Don’t leave drinks where a dog can reach them.
What is okay? A small bite of plain, boneless, skinless turkey, or a little plain pumpkin (not pie filling), is generally fine for most dogs. Keep it small and skip anything seasoned.
Don’t forget the trash. A turkey carcass in the kitchen trash is a jackpot for a dog. Bag it, tie it, and take it outside or put it behind a closed door right away.
If your dog eats something they shouldn’t, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Don’t wait to see if symptoms show up.
Decorations: The Tree, Tinsel, and Plants
- Anchor the tree. A curious or excited dog can knock over a tree that isn’t secured.
- Cover the tree water. Standing water grows bacteria that can upset your dog’s stomach.
- Skip the tinsel. If swallowed, it can block the intestines and may need surgery.
- Hang breakable ornaments up high. Broken glass and plastic can cut the mouth and digestive tract.
- Tuck away cords and batteries. Chewed wires can cause a serious shock, and a punctured battery can burn the mouth.
- Never leave candles unattended. One swipe of a happy tail is all it takes.
- Holly and mistletoe can cause stomach upset and heart problems, so keep them well out of reach.
- Poinsettias get a bad reputation, but they usually cause mild stomach upset, not serious poisoning. Still worth keeping off the floor.
- Lilies are extremely dangerous for cats. If you have a cat too, keep them out of the house.
Hosting Family At Your House
To your dog, a houseful of guests means new smells, new voices, kids at eye level, and plates of food everywhere. Even friendly dogs get overwhelmed.
- Set up a quiet space before guests arrive. A bedroom or crate with their bed, water, and a long-lasting chew gives your dog somewhere to go when it gets to be too much. Let them choose to come out, rather than forcing them to greet everyone.
- Talk to your guests ahead of time. Ask them not to feed the dog from their plates, and tell kids how to say hi calmly (or to leave the dog alone if your dog isn’t a fan of kids).
- Watch the front door. With people coming and going, it’s easy for a dog to slip out. Use a gate or leash during arrivals, and make sure ID tags and microchip info are current.
- Ask guests to keep medications put away. Guests’ medications are a common cause of pet poisoning. Purses and suitcases on the floor are easy for a dog to get into, so ask everyone to keep them in a closed room or up high.
- Give your dog a job during dinner. A dog who knows “place” can settle on a mat while everyone eats, instead of begging, stealing, or getting underfoot.
- Stick to the routine as much as you can. Walks, meals, and bedtime at the usual times help your dog stay calm when everything else is different.
Visiting Family With Your Dog
Bringing your dog to someone else’s house has its own challenges. It’s a new place, the rules are different, and there may be other pets.
- Ask first. Make sure your host is truly okay with your dog coming, and ask about other pets, small kids, and any house rules.
- Bring their setup with you. Their crate or bed, food, bowls, leash, favorite chew, and any medications. Familiar things help a dog settle in a strange house.
- Introduce dogs slowly. If your host has a dog, have them meet on neutral ground outside, on leash, before walking into the house together. Pick up food bowls, toys, and bones that might start a squabble.
- Do a quick walk-through. Look for open gates, low counters with food, trash cans without lids, and medications on nightstands.
- Supervise or separate. In a new house, your dog should be with you or in their crate. Don’t assume your relatives will keep an eye on them.
- Know the nearest emergency vet. Look it up before you leave, so you’re not searching for it at 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Traveling This Season
IF YOUR DOG IS COMING ALONG
- Buckle them in. A loose dog in the car is a danger to everyone in a sudden stop. Use a well-fitted harness or a secured crate in the back seat, away from airbags. Many products say “crash tested” with nothing to back it up, so look for ones certified by the Center for Pet Safety.
- Keep heads inside the car. Dogs can get eye, ear, and head injuries riding with their head out the window.
- Plan stops. Stop every couple of hours so your dog can drink, stretch, and potty.
- Never leave your dog in a parked car. Consumer Reports found a closed car went from 61°F outside to over 105°F inside in one hour.
- Flying or crossing state lines? Check whether you need a health certificate, and get your vet appointment on the calendar early. If you have a short-nosed breed like a Pug or Bulldog, talk to your vet before flying.
- Update ID and microchip info, including a cell phone number you’ll actually answer while you’re away.
IF YOUR DOG IS STAYING HOME: BOOK YOUR PET SITTER NOW
The good pet sitters book up early for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you wait until December, you may be stuck with whoever is left. Don’t just pick the cheapest option off an app. This is someone with a key to your house and your dog’s safety in their hands, so vet them like it matters:
- Are they insured and bonded, with a business license?
- Are they trained in pet first aid and CPR?
- Can you talk to references, and did you actually call them?
- Will they meet you and your dog in person first? A sitter who won’t do a meet and greet is a red flag.
- Do they have a written agreement covering payment, cancellations, and a vet release form?
- What’s their backup plan if they get sick or have an emergency?
- How will they keep you updated while you’re gone?
If you can, book a short trial visit before your trip so you can see how your dog does. Leave written instructions with your dog’s routine, food amounts, medications, your vet’s number, and the nearest emergency vet.
Get Ahead Now, Not In December
Book holiday grooming early. Everyone wants their dog looking and smelling their best before family arrives, and holiday grooming appointments fill up fast. Get on the calendar now for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our grooming is kennel free, so your dog isn’t sitting in a crate waiting their turn, and they come home calm instead of stressed out right before the busiest weeks of the year.
Start training now if you’re preparing for company. A few weeks of practice makes a big difference:
- Place, so your dog settles on a mat during dinner instead of begging.
- Leave it, for the roll that hits the floor or the cookie a kid drops.
- Drop it, for when something already made it into their mouth.
- Polite greetings, so Grandma doesn’t get jumped on at the front door.
- Calm crate time, so your dog can rest in a crate at home or at a relative’s house without stress.
Use Day Stay on your busiest days. When you’re cooking all day, wrapping presents, or fighting the crowds at the mall, your dog doesn’t have to be underfoot or home alone. Drop them off for Day Stay with us, and pick up a happy, tired dog who’s ready to relax while you finish getting ready.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT ALL STAGE CANINE DEVELOPMENT!
