What shouldn’t I feed my dog on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day?
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By WSBTV.com News Staff
ATLANTA — It’s holiday time, a season of sharing and caring, but it’s important to be cautious when you’re saving sweets for your pets.
While it can be very tempting to sneak scraps from the table on the holidays to your four-legged, furry best friend, make sure not to give them something dangerous to eat.
With that in mind, and Christmas gatherings just over a week away, here’s a look at the common foods you should keep your dogs away from, no matter how much they beg.
Some of them can even be outright toxic. Here’s a big list of them, in pictures:
Raisins Raisins are always good on the trail, but not for friends with tails. Do not let your best friend and holiday cuddle buds eat these treats. ((Wikimedia Commons, no attribution))
Apricots Apricot pits are toxic for dogs, do not let them chomp down on any. (Christof Stache/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Walnuts Walnuts are bad for man's best friends, while tasty, do not let the pooch mooch them off of your tables. (Hermann J. Knippertz/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Xylitol Artificial sweetener Xylitol is bad for our furry friends and used in a lot of products to cut down on sugar content. (Matt Rourke/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Potato leaves and stems Potato leaves and stems can give you the nice munch and crunch, but don't let the pups gnosh on them. (John Miller/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Yeast Dough Yeast dough, while great for making bread, it is not great for furry friends, and should not be given as a snack. (Annie Rice/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rhubarb leaves and stems Rhubarb grows in the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Macadamia nuts Imported nuts from the United States are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, Monday, April 2, 2018. China raised import duties on U.S. pork, fruit and other products Monday in an escalating tariff dispute with President Donald Trump that companies worry might depress global commerce. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (Andy Wong/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Cherries Yes, the cherries are delicious but the pits inside are small and can be dangerous for dogs. (Rocksy/(Wikimedia Commons, no attribution))
Chives Save dog lives, don't let them eat chives. ((Wikimedia Commons, no attribution))
Garlic The master of aromatics, but not great for puppy acrobatics. Definitely don't let your dogs eat these stinky cloves. ((Wikimedia Commons, no attribution))
Hops Hops are good for brewing beers, but if you have a dog, eating them just brews trouble. ((Wikimedia Commons, no attribution))
Coffee Coffee, whether it's beans, grounds, or covered in chocolate, are bad for dogs. (HEMP/Getty Images)
Tomato stems and leaves Tomato leaves and stems can be toxic for dogs.
Tea Tea, hot or cold, is bad for dogs because of the caffeine.
Salt Salt is great in snacks, but if your dog has too much salt, they can get very sick. Let the season stay sweet, keep your dogs away from the salt.
Peach pits Don't feed your dog peach pits and keep an eye if they're looking for something to crunch
Onions Onions, onion powder, and onion flakes are all bad for dogs. If it makes you cry when you cut it, it'll probably make you cry if your dog eats it. Definitely a no go. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Mushrooms While they're always fun guys, don't let your pups eat mushrooms this holiday season, it's bad for their health.
Gum While gum can be refreshing after a meal, it can clog up your dog so don't let them chew it up.
Grapes Grapes are toxic for dogs, so don't let your pooch eat any. (RinoCdZ/Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Chocolate Chocolate is definitely not good for dogs, do not let your pup swallow it up.
Apple seeds Apple seeds are toxic to dogs so be careful what you let fall to the floor while prepping to make pies.
Wine While it's nice to share a lot with your dogs, drinking wine is a humans-only activity. Don't let your dog drink your wine. (Unsplash)
While it’s not an exhaustive list, the Humane Society says the following items can be harmful to dogs:
Alcoholic beverages
Apple seeds
Apricot pits
Avocados
Cherry pits
Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
Chives
Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
Garlic
Grapes
Gum (can cause blockages and sugar-free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
Hops (used in home beer brewing)
Macadamia nuts
Moldy foods
Mushroom plants
Mustard seeds
Onions, onion powder and onion flakes
Peach pits
Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
Raisins
Rhubarb leaves
Salt
Tea (because it contains caffeine)
Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
Walnuts
Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)