Party Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat

Parties are fun, especially when they involve lots of food.  However, dogs can eat things at parties that will make them very ill.  Here are some foods you need to keep far away from your dog to keep him safe and the party going well.

  1. Alcohol is a big problem for dogs.  Some people think it is funny to get a dog drunk, but they do not realize the dog may die instead.  That is because it doesn’t take much alcohol to cause ethanol poisoning in dogs.  Symptoms include involuntary urination,  hypothermia, slowed breathing, and even heart attacks.  Be sure that alcohol is not left where the dog can reach it.
  2. Chicken wings have become a staple at parties. Unfortunately, they are very bad for your dog.  If the chicken wing still has a bone in it, it can splinter or break and cause lacerations of the dogs internal organs.  It can also cause intestinal obstruction, and require surgery to remove it.  Finally, there is so much sodium in chicken wings that they can cause high blood pressure and can contribute to kidney and heart disease.
  3. Dogs can’t handle chocolates.  Do not give him a chocolate brownie or chocolate cookie.  The compound in chocolate that is of major concern is theobromine, which is most concentrated in dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate — the kind of chocolates found in brownies and chocolate chip cookies, in other words. Chocolate poisoning can cause heart arrhythmias, muscle tremors, and seizures.
  4. In addition to having problems with alcohol, dogs can’t drink sodas, either.  Caffeinated drinks (and foods) can cause your dog to suffer from restlessness, breathing issues, heart palpitations, and muscle tremors.  Soda has a lot of caffeine.  It also has a lot of sodium and can sicken your dog that way.  Dogs are better off drinking just water than anything else at the party.
  5. Guacamole is a big no-no for your dog.  It has avocado, onions, and garlic.  Your dog can’t have any of those.  If the dog eats enough, the onions and garlic can cause gastrointestinal issues, elevated heart rate, and red blood cell damage.  Avocado toxicity can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of stool production.
  6. Tree nuts can poison your dog if he eats them.  Lots of times people put out bowls of nuts for their company, never imagining that there dogs may eat them and die.

A party is a chance to have fun and see new people.  It is hard to get your guests to understand that they should not give the dog any food or anything to drink.  The safest place for a dog during a party is in a doggy kennel in another room.  That means your guests can enjoy themselves without endangering the dog.  The dog can take a nap in his crate without getting upset with all the new people in his house.  Every  body wins.

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