During the holidays, you naturally want to spoil your furry companion. However, rather than inviting your pet to your holiday feast, which poses untold hazards, play it safe by offering your dog or cat healthy alternatives. So, avoid giving them a plate piled high with glazed ham, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy, and rich casseroles, and serve your four-legged friend safe holiday treat options recommended by our All Breed Pet Care team.

#1: Lean meats

If your pet could choose, meaty morsels would top their most-wanted list. Nothing gets your pet drooling quite like tidbits of turkey or tuna, and lean meats make perfectly acceptable treats. Some popular choices include:

  • Chicken or turkey breast
  • Lamb
  • Ground meat (e.g., 90% or leaner beef, turkey, chicken, bison, venison)
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Tilapia
  • Wild game

Your pet can safely enjoy lean meats. However, when preparing them for your dog or cat, follow these health and safety tips:

  • Skip the seasonings — Salt, pepper, garlic, onions, and various other seasonings can be harmful to your pet, especially if your dog or cat consumes them in large quantities.
  • Reduce fat content — Before serving meat to your pet, reduce the fat content as much as possible by removing skin and straining grease.
  • Avoid bones — No matter whether they are cooked, meat bones are unsafe for your dog or cat to eat. Raw bones are exceptionally hard and can fracture your pet’s teeth, while cooked bones are brittle and can splinter and pierce the mouth. Any bone can block your pet’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
  • Cook thoroughly — Raw or inadequately cooked meat can harbor bacteria that can make your pet ill. Cook meat to the proper internal temperature and disinfect surfaces on which raw meat has been.

#2: Fresh fruits

Nutrient-packed fruits make excellent treats for your pet. While cats usually turn up their nose to sweet snacks, many dogs enjoy fresh fruits. Many fruits are safe for your pet, but avoid those which may cause toxicity or upset your dog’s stomach. Do not give your pet the following fruits:

  • Avocados
  • Grapes
  • Raisins
  • Currants
  • Citrus fruits (e.g., lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit)
  • Green tomatoes

Most other fruits, including melons, berries, and apples, are safe to offer to your furry pal. However, when serving fruit to your pet, follow these safety tips:

  • Remove the rind or peel — Some fruits’ rind, peel, or skin contains toxins. In addition, they can be difficult for your pet to chew or digest. So, always remove the outer layer of fruits that have a peel or tough skin.
  • Remove the seeds or pit — While fruit seeds and pits can pose a choking hazard to your pet, they may also contain poisons such as cyanide and persin. Before giving your pet fruit, remove all seeds, pits, and cores.
  • Moderate intake — The sweeter the fruit, the higher its sugar content, and too much is still unhealthy, so limit your pet’s intake.
  • Avoid canned fruits — Rather than serving your pet canned fruit, which is often preserved in juice or syrup and contains a great deal of sugar, feed them fresh fruit.

#3: Roasted vegetables

Most vegetables are safe for your furry pal to eat, with the exception of foods from the Allium family (e.g., onions, garlic, chives, leeks, shallots). Your pet can safely enjoy these common veggies:

  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Green beans
  • Peas
  • Squash
  • Sweet potatoes

While you can serve vegetables raw, they’re easier for your pet to eat—and present less of a choking hazard—if you cook them. Rather than sautéing veggies in butter or oil, as this adds fat, steam them until soft. You can also roast vegetables in the oven, adding a sweet flavor through caramelization. Do not add spices or seasonings that could be toxic, and only give your pet a small vegetable portion. Vegetables are generally full of fiber, which can either cause constipation or diarrhea, so offering veggies in moderation is key to help prevent your pet from experiencing GI upset.

#4: Homemade treats

You can also whip up delicious homemade goodies for your furry pal. Bake pet-safe Christmas biscuits using fun cookie-cutter shapes, or design a treat puzzle to encourage your four-legged friend to work for their snacks.

If you are in doubt about whether a holiday treat is safe for your pet, give our All Breed Pet Care team a call. We can provide tasty options tailored to your furry pal’s specific health needs.