You’ve heard it time and time again… don’t feed your dog chocolate! But did you know there is a whole list of food items that are toxic to your pet? It’s always tempting to feed our pets what we are eating, especially around the holidays. After all, who wouldn’t love some pumpkin pie?! We wanted to take a moment to remind you of some of the potentially toxic foods that you (and your pet) might encounter this holiday season.

Chocolate: Chocolate is dangerous to dogs for a couple of reasons. First, it contains caffeine which can speed up your furry friend’s heart and cause issues. Second, it contains theobromine. Theobromine negatively affects the central nervous, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems.
Turkey skin: Because it is high in fat and full of seasoning, turkey skin can actually cause pancreatitis and irritate your dogs stomach.
Onions: Onions contain N-propyl disulfide which causes damage to your pets’ red blood cells. All parts of an onion are toxic to cats and dogs including processed powders. Similar to onions, garlic, shallots, leaks, and chives are also toxic to your pets.
Nuts: Some nuts are toxic to your pet and some are not. Peanuts and cashews are reportedly okay in small doses (not regularly), but are high in fat and can lead to pancreas issues. It’s best to just avoid nuts altogether.
Raw dough: Raw dough can easily expand in your pets’ stomach causing the stomach to become distended and bloat to occur. Bloating in humans is simply uncomfortable, but bloating in dogs can turn into gastric-dilatation volvulus (GDV) which involves the twisting of the stomach.
Nutmeg & Cinnamon: Both nutmeg and cinnamon are toxic to animals when consumed in large amounts. Both spices can cause irritation of the stomach, low blood sugar, liver disease, vomiting, and diarrhea. NOTE: Cinnamon essential oil is more toxic to dogs than the powder. Exposure to the oil in any amount can be dangerous.

Whether its chocolate or pumpkin pie, it’s best to keep that on the table and out of your dogs stomach.