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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With the excitement of the holidays coming, our pets can sometimes be overlooked. The Animal Rescue League of Boston is giving out tips to keep animals safe at meals and with all those relatives around.
The obvious problem for dogs and cats is chocolate, but Mike DeFina at the ARL said many other types of food can also be toxic. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, while plants in the allium family (like leeks, garlic, onions, and others) can fatally affect dogs' blood cells. The sugar-free sweetener xylitol (common in sugar-free sweets and cookies) has been linked to hypoglycemia in dogs, and milk and dairy should also be off-limits.
DeFina says animal bones shouldn't be given to dogs either, as they can splinter and get stuck in their intestines.
The pet dangers aren't limited to the table. The ARL says many ornamental plants brought in around the holidays can be toxic to pets if they get eaten, including holly, mistletoe, some lilies and poinsettias.
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