Dr. Pol's table manners… for your pets!

Now that the holidays are in full swing, it’s important to take into consideration the tempting dishes that are within short reach of your four-legged friends. World-renowned veterinarian, Dr. Pol, from National Geographic WILD’s #1 series and highest-rated telecast on the network, The Incredible Dr. Pol advises which holiday dishes you can and cannot share with your furry friends. The holidays should be filled with family and fun, not tragedy. 

As with all things edible, most of the time, a little does not harm them, but your pets don’t know when to stop! Many pets can outsmart us when it comes to food, so Dr. Pol has put together his “Table Manners” for you to follow and avoid a holiday headache. 

Saving the family dog

• Don’t leave food out unsupervised anywhere—even the smallest dog will find a way to reach it! When the feast is over, make sure the leftovers are not accessible for our four-footed friends— that means a locking lid on a garbage pail versus a bag on the back porch.
• Don't give your pet a turkey bone – the long hollow bones will splinter and may puncture the intestines. Keep in mind that raw bones are more digestible, while processed or cooked bones are not.
• Don't give your pet a ham bone. The ringbone can lodge itself very tightly around the bottom jaw and the bones get stuck in their digestive tracts.
• Don't share anything chocolate with your dog. The caffeine in chocolate, coffee, and tea is all the same and can cause vomiting, hyperactivity and, in larger quantities, could be lethal.
• Don't give your pet anything that contains onions, garlic, grapes, kale and Brussels sprouts. These ingredients combined or on their own can easily cause gastrointestinal upsets. In larger doses, they can cause trouble with circulation and kidneys.
• Do not leave a poinsettia on the floor or in reach of your dog. It is a pretty holiday plant, but it is not supposed to be eaten! It is poisonous to our pets.

As you can see, there are many things to watch while entertaining this holiday season. It is so much easier to prevent accidents from happening than to try to treat the results.

If you haven't had an opportunity to see Dr. Pol, the highly-anticipated third season of The Incredible Dr. Pol premieres January 5th on National Geographic WILD. To keep up with Dr. Pol follow him on Twitter or Facebook.