Virtually all cats will throw up at some point in their lives, to the extent that many pet parents become skilled at recognizing the distinctive arched back and pinned ears that immediately precede vomiting (though usually not in time to do anything about it).

Following an incident, it can be hard for cat owners to determine whether they should seek medical attention or just clean up the mess and carry on. Get to know the most common scary and not-so-scary explanations for vomiting so you can get your cat the help they need.

Serious Reasons Your Cat May Be Throwing Up

Vomiting may be fairly common, but don’t immediately write it off — it can be a symptom of a more threatening health problem. Pay attention to any unusual symptoms and behavior changes that coincide with vomiting so you can give your vet better context.

Intestinal Parasites

Especially if your cat is young or recently rescued, parasites may be making them throw up.

While some varieties of intestinal worms will actually be visible in pets’ vomit or feces, others won’t. Look for other signs that your cat is playing host to a parasite, like:

Dull coat
Lethargy
Pale gums (anemia)
Potbelly
Diarrhea

Fortunately, once your vet identifies the parasite, dewormer will get your cat on the road to recovery.

Swallowed Foreign Objects

Sometimes, vomiting occurs when cats eat things that are not food. These situations can become life-threatening emergencies if the swallowed object damages your cat’s digestive tract or forms an obstruction.

If your cat can’t successfully eject what they swallowed, they are at serious risk of a perforated or ruptured bowel as pressure builds up behind the object. If your cat seems distressed and their vomit is bloody or unproductive, get to your local emergency vet right away. A quick intervention is your best chance for saving your cat’s life.

Metabolic Diseases

Vomiting is a common early symptom of endocrine disorders like hyperthyroidism, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and feline diabetes. Particularly if your cat is over 7 years old, don’t ignore vomiting that is accompanied by:

Increased thirst
Concentrated urine
Frequent urination
Anemia
Muscle weakness

Poisoning

The primary biological purpose of vomiting is to help us rid our bodies of anything harmful. Take a look around your home and notice whether your cat may have ingested cleaning chemicals or nibbled on toxic foods or houseplants.

If you suspect poisoning and your cat is displaying neurological symptoms (like poor balance or coordination), get to the vet right away.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease isn’t just for humans — some cats struggle with chronically irritated intestines. Lower GI irritation typically leads to diarrhea, but inflammation in the upper GI tract can make your cat throw up food before it can be digested.

If vomiting has turned into a more frequent problem, your cat may need your help to get proper nutrition and maintain a healthy weight. Your vet can recommend a combination of dietary changes and medication to help your cat thrive.

Less Serious Reasons Your Cat May Be Throwing Up

If vomiting is infrequent and your cat resumes normal activities, like eating and drinking, there is a good chance that the explanation is more mundane.

Occasional, unproblematic vomiting can often be addressed by changing up your cat’s routine.

Eating Too Fast

One of the most common non-medical reasons for vomiting is frantic eating. Cats who inhale their food are likely to lose it, so help your feline friend slow down.

If the issue is due to competition with other household pets, feeding your cat separately may allow them to relax and take their time. If scarfing down food is just part of their personality, however, puzzle bowls and lick mats are great ways to throttle fast eaters.

Anxiety

Trips outside of your home, schedule changes, and the addition of new pets can all trigger anxious vomiting.

Anything that upsets your cat’s routine may also upset their stomach. Do your best to provide normalcy when change is inevitable, and nervous vomiting should resolve as your cat adjusts.

Hairballs

If vomiting produces a distinctive tube-shaped clump of matted hair, the mystery is solved.

The occasional hairball is nothing to worry about, but if they’ve become excessive, simple dietary and behavioral changes can reduce the frequency of hairballs.

When to Take a Vomiting Cat to the Vet

Take vomiting seriously when:

It doesn’t resolve quickly
It becomes more frequent over time
It’s accompanied by other physical or behavioral symptoms
Your cat appears to be in distress

If you have any doubts as to why your cat is throwing up, err on the side of caution and visit your veterinarian. Addressing the root cause of vomiting is the first step toward helping your feline friend feel better.

If you’ve ever experienced a urinary tract infection (UTI), you’re all too familiar with the discomfort, burning, and urgency they can cause. While UTI-prone humans are usually able to recognize this unpleasant ordeal by its symptoms and seek treatment, our cats need our help.

If you’ve noticed unusual litter box activity or other signs of distress, it’s possible that your feline friend may be experiencing a urinary tract infection. Here’s how to recognize a UTI so you can get your cat on the road to recovery.

UTI Symptoms in Cats

Cats tend to be stoic when they are in pain. Often the most tell-tale signs of a feline urinary tract infection are sudden changes in toileting habits. Keep an eye out for:

Frequent trips to the litter box that don’t produce much urine
Straining, yowling, or crying while urinating
Dark or bloody urine
Foul-smelling urine
Urine outside of the litter box
Obsessive licking or grooming near the urethra

While uncomplicated UTIs can resolve quickly with a course of antibiotics, untreated infections can lead to kidney failure, bladder ruptures, and even death.

What Causes a Feline UTI?

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria enter your cat’s urethra and begin to reproduce in the bladder. When your cat’s body mounts an immune system response to fight the infection, the tissues of the urinary tract become swollen and inflamed.

The most common culprit is E. coli, a bacterium present in cats’ feces. For this reason, cats living in unsanitary conditions and cats who can’t properly groom themselves due to age, injury, or obesity are more likely to experience a UTI.

Another key risk factor is chronic dehydration. When cats don’t drink enough water, they can produce very concentrated urine that is an ideal breeding environment for bacteria. Adding wet food to their diet or upgrading their water dish can encourage your feline friend to stay hydrated.

Can I Treat My Cat’s UTI at Home?

Before you reach for the cranberry pills or apple cider vinegar supplements, visit your vet. Because the symptoms of several common urinary tract diseases can look very similar, it’s important to be certain of what you’re treating.

A urinalysis can confirm the presence of a UTI, and, depending on its severity, your vet may prescribe antibiotics. Because unresolved UTIs can cause kidney failure and other serious complications, it’s best to act fast and get your cat some relief.

It’s a battle familiar to many people who share their home with both cats and dogs. Despite being generally well-mannered (and certainly well-fed), many dogs can’t resist the urge to snack on cat poop.

Aside from being disgusting, this puzzling canine behavior can have health consequences. If you want to discourage your dog from nosing through the litter box, you’ll have to find a solution that takes all of your pets’ individual needs and preferences into account.

Why Can’t I Keep My Dog Out of the Litter Box?

Though we’re thoroughly revolted by the possibility of getting kisses from a pet who just ate cat poop, it’s actually well within the realm of normal dog behavior.

We tend to think of dogs’ wolf ancestors as hunters, but they are also adept scavengers. Cat food typically has more fat than dog food, and cats’ short intestines mean that their poop is more nutrient-dense than other animals’. Unfortunately, this makes it an attractive snack for opportunistic pets.

Can Eating Cat Poop Make Dogs Sick?

While eating cat poop isn’t inherently harmful, feces can be a vector for bacteria and intestinal parasites. Additionally, if your cat is on medications that could harm your dog, it’s possible that eating their stool will cause health problems.

Another worrisome possibility is that, if your dog ingests a large amount of litter (particularly clumping or silicone formulas), an intestinal blockage is possible. Seek a veterinarian’s attention if you notice:

Bloating
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Lethargy
Changes in thirst or appetite.

Though rare, there is a chance that your dog could transmit illnesses like salmonella and toxoplasmosis to human family members, so putting an end to litter box burglary is important, especially if anyone in your home is pregnant or immunocompromised.

How to Keep Your Dog Out of the Litter Box

Ready to come up with a plan to keep your canine companion out of the cat box? Explore your options and choose the best solution for you and your pets.

Create a Barrier

One way to deter a litter box-obsessed dog is to block their access. Depending on the layout of your home, consider adding a pet gate. Older or arthritic cats may have difficulty going over a barrier, so you may have more success installing it a few inches off the floor so they have the option to go under it instead.

Partitioning off the litter box can give your cat some sanctuary and remove your dog’s opportunity to sneak poop altogether.

Relocate the Litter Box

If gating isn’t a workable option, some families find that moving the litter box to a higher surface works best.

Regardless, your cat will have final say in whether the solution is acceptable. Cats can have strong bathroom preferences, so if the change makes the litter box less accessible (or even just less appealing) they are likely to reject it altogether and use the bathroom in other areas of your home.

Add a Lid

Switching to a box with a lid may help deter litter box raids. This simple solution can work like a charm in some households, and not at all in others.

Just like cats can be particular about the location of their bathroom, sometimes changes to the box itself can upset their routine. Moreover, very persistent dogs may discover a workaround for the lid in short order.

Keep it Clean

Unless you invest in an automated litter box, it isn’t always possible to immediately remove anything your cat leaves behind. That said, scooping the box thoroughly and often is a great way to help your dog make better choices. A good enzymatic cleaner can discourage your dog from following his nose to the litter box.

Use Positive Reinforcement

In addition to simple deterrence, it’s also important to take time to train your dog to ignore the cat box.

Pair a simple command, like “leave it!” with a favorite treat, and be consistent. With time and patience, your dog will learn to respond even when faced with temptation.

Finding a bald patch on your canine companion can be alarming, let alone several bald patches.

Shedding is a normal part of life with a dog, but sudden, unusual hair loss is not. Patchy hair loss can be a symptom of several conditions, so it’s important to correctly identify the underlying cause before you start exploring treatments.

Here’s what you need to know about the most common causes of canine bald spots.

Parasitic Infections

When we think of parasites, we often think about intestinal worms, but parasites can also infest pets’ skin.

These creatures survive by spreading from host to host, so parasite-related hair loss in your dog can often be a sign that the other pets and humans in your household have been exposed.

Even the best-groomed dogs can pick up parasites from dog park encounters, so high-tail it to your vet if you notice hair loss that is accompanied by irritation, lesions, or thickened skin.

Mange Mites

Mange is a condition caused by parasitic mites that burrow and lay eggs in the skin. There are two types of mange: demodectic and sarcoptic. Demodex mange primarily affects immunocompromised dogs and doesn’t readily spread to other species. The mites that cause sarcoptic mange, however, can infest humans in the form of scabies.

Mange is characterized by painful symptoms:

Extreme itchiness
Red, irritated skin
Yellow crusts
Bacterial infections
Thick, darkened skin
Swollen lymph nodes

Mild mange can worsen quickly, so don’t lose time seeking treatment.

Ringworm

Contagious and itchy, ringworm is marked by distinctively circular bald patches with raised lesions. Despite its name, ringworm isn’t caused by worms at all — it’s fungal.

The fungus that causes ringworm passes easily when dogs have skin contact with infected animals or use contaminated brushes, bowls, or bedding. Though it’s treatable, this uncomfortable skin condition can affect both pets and humans, especially small children and people with depressed immune systems.

Fleas

Fleas are one of the most common canine allergens. Whether your dog is truly allergic to flea bites or merely sensitive, a flea infestation can trigger obsessive scratching, licking, and chewing that is highly irritating to skin.

If red, hairless patches emerge in areas that your dog can reach with their mouth or hind leg, flea-related dermatitis could be to blame. Get your pet treatment that will soothe their skin right away, because continued scratching and chewing can lead to serious skin infections.

Allergic Dermatitis

Surprisingly, food allergies and sensitivities are more likely to impact your dog’s skin than their stomach.

Allergies can develop at any point, meaning that a protein source your dog has enjoyed their whole life may suddenly cause itchy skin, hives, or hair loss. If you suspect that your pet has developed a food allergy, ask your vet about planning an elimination diet to pinpoint the root cause.

Cushing’s Disease and Hair Loss

As dogs age, changes to their endocrine system can affect the health of their coats.

Cushing’s disease, or an overproduction of the hormone cortisol, is most often caused by a benign tumor pressing on the adrenal or pituitary gland. Cushing’s disease is most common in dogs over age six, and is usually characterized by:

Hair loss
Thin skin
Pot-bellied appearance
Increased thirst and appetite
Lethargy

Depending on the size and location of the tumor, Cushing’s disease can be addressed by surgery or managed through medication.

Yeast Infections

Dogs with long, floppy ears or skin folds require special attention at the groomers. Moisture and oils can collect in crevices or between dogs’ toes, leading to an overgrowth of yeast.

The first sign of yeast dermatitis is usually an unpleasant, musty smell, but if left unchecked, the irritation will lead to hair loss. Your vet can prescribe antifungal medications and ointments to keep yeast in check.

Stress-Related Bald Patches in Dogs

If you’ve ruled out medical explanations for hair loss, it’s possible that the explanation may be behavioral.

Just like humans can respond to stress by biting our nails or picking at our skin, boredom and anxiety can cause dogs to chew or bite their fur to the point of hair loss.

Ensure that your dog is getting plenty of attention, exercise, and stimulation. Ease separation anxiety by providing your pet with interactive toys and treats to keep them engaged in your absence. If issues persist, talk to your vet about options for managing your dog’s anxiety through medication.

Cat owners know that otherworldly retching sound all too well. Most felines will experience a buildup of fur in their stomachs from time to time, and when it doesn’t pass through their intestines, it has to come up (usually on your favorite rug).

Hairballs are common, but they aren’t necessarily a normal part of life with cats. Proactive pet parents can take steps to drastically reduce uncomfortable hairballs — and save their carpet in the process.

What Are Hairballs, Anyway?

Despite their name, extruded hairballs are almost always long and tube-shaped.

When cats groom themselves, they inevitably swallow a bit of their own fur. Cat hair contains an indigestible protein called keratin that prevents stomach acid from breaking it down alongside their food. Most of this hair passes on its own in cats’ feces, but occasionally bits of hair will linger in the stomach and form a clump.

To get some relief, cats need to eject the hairball. While this process is commonly referred to as “hacking” because of the sound that accompanies it, cats vomit hairballs rather than cough them up. Air escaping around the wet clump of hair as it’s extruded from the esophagus produces that horrendous, unmistakable sound.

In its final form, a hairball is made up of fur, stomach secretions, and bits of undigested food that may have gotten caught up in the process.

Cat Breeds Prone to Hairballs

No cat is immune to hairballs (even hairless breeds like sphynx can get them as a result of grooming other cats or their humans). However, long-haired breeds are understandably at higher risk. Be particularly vigilant about hairballs if your feline friend is a:

Ragdoll
Maine Coon
Persian
Norwegian Forest Cat
Siberian
Domestic Long-Hair

When to Worry About Hairballs

The occasional hairballs (one every week or two) may be a nuisance, but it’s probably not cause for concern.

If you’re noticing an uptick in production, however, reach out to your vet. Excessive hairballs can be the result of over-grooming, which could be the result of skin issues caused by environmental allergies, food sensitivities, or stress.

Hacking and wheezing that doesn’t produce a hairball can be a symptom of feline asthma or an indication that the hairball has grown into a dangerous, impassable blockage. Both conditions require immediate medical attention.

How to Reduce Your Cat’s Hairball Hacking

If you want to experience fewer wads of wet hair, here are some practical tips for hairball reduction.

1. Groom Your Cat

Regular brushing not only helps curb shedding — it also reduces the amount of hair cats ingest while licking themselves.

Grooming assistance becomes even more important as cats age. Senior cats may lose the flexibility to clean hard-to-reach areas, and slower digestion can make it easier for large hairballs to form.

2. Watch Out for Chewing

Chewing is not an exclusively “dog” behavior. If your cat is prone to nibbling on things that aren’t food, make sure you remove anything they could accidentally swallow from their environment.

Hairballs form easily around foreign objects in the stomach, and they can easily turn into dangerous obstructions. Keep bits of string, rubber bands, and twist ties stowed safely out of reach.

3. Make Sure Your Cat is Drinking Plenty of Water

Proper hydration can naturally inhibit the occurrence of hairballs in two ways. First, it promotes smooth digestion. Second, it reduces hair fall, limiting the amount of hair that ends up in your cat’s stomach in the first place.

If your cat is a fussy drinker, changing their water dish or adding more wet food to their diet can help close hydration gaps.

4. Consider Dietary Changes

There are a number of supplements and cat food formulas that can help arrest hairballs. If your cat’s hacking has become excessive and your vet has ruled out more serious underlying conditions, they can help you choose a dietary regime that supports a healthy coat and good digestion.

Your vet may also recommend changes to your feeding schedule. Opting for multiple small meals throughout the day can encourage any hair your cat swallows to pass through their digestive system without forming a clump.

Gas happens, even to our pets. Dogs break wind an average of 5-20 times per day while cats average 1-2 toots — extremely modest compared to the human average of 12-25 daily incidents.

Thanks to their more horizontal GI systems and differently configured sphincter muscles, pet flatulence is usually silent (but deadly). If you’ve found yourself asking what’s that smell? a bit too often lately, it may be time to take action. If you want to clear the air, start by identifying and addressing the root cause of your pet’s gas.

When to Worry About Your Pet’s Gas

Gas is a nuisance, but it’s occasionally an indicator of a more serious problem. Don’t ignore a sudden uptick in flatulence that is accompanied by:

Changes in appetite
Bloating
Diarrhea
Constipation
Vomiting
Bloody stool

These symptoms can point to conditions like stomach ulcers, GI obstructions, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), all of which require a vet’s care. Concerned pet parents should schedule an exam to investigate the underlying cause of worrisome gas.

Once you’ve confirmed that your pet’s gas is just hot air, small changes to their routine can bring on big improvements.

1. Secure Trash and Table Scraps

If your dog has gotten into the garbage or helped himself to the pizza you left on the counter, expect some bad gas.

Human food contains sugars and proteins that aren’t a normal part of pets’ diets. When they chow down on something they lack the enzymes to properly digest, that food languishes in their GI tract. As their gut bacteria work to break down the problematic food, they produce an excess of foul-smelling gas in the process.

Gas prevention begins with investing in a secure trash can lid and storing leftovers safely out of your pets’ reach.

2. Ditch the Dairy

Despite the common mental association of cats with saucers of milk, most cats (and many dogs) are lactose intolerant. When pets grow to adulthood, they produce less of the enzyme that they require to digest their mothers’ milk — for many adult cats, it disappears completely.

If you want to improve the air quality of your household, try removing milk and cheese from your pet’s diet. They may also experience the added benefit of more comfortable digestion.

3. Avoid Cruciferous Veggies

Vegetables make great low-calorie treats, but some are more likely than others to produce noxious gas. Members of the cruciferous family (think broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower) are high in sulfur and fiber. While they can be great for promoting healthy poops, they are also slow to move through dogs’ digestive systems, leading to a buildup of that distinctive rotten egg scented flatulence.

Switch to more digestible veggies or give them a quick steam to help reduce gas.

4. Help Your Pet Slow Down

Sometimes trapped gas originates in your pet’s mouth. Dogs and cats who scarf down their food too quickly can swallow a lot of air. These air pockets cause discomfort as they make their way through the digestive tract and escape as gas.

If you have a frantic eater, consider breaking up meals into smaller snacks throughout the day. Puzzle bowls and mats are great ways to encourage pets to eat more slowly while providing helpful mental stimulation.

5. Identify Food Sensitivities

While true food allergies are quite rare, cats and dogs may experience food sensitivities that lead to digestive distress and excessive gas.

If you suspect your pet’s food is disagreeing with them, an elimination diet is the only way to definitively pinpoint problematic ingredients. Once you have isolated the source of your pet’s issue, swapping their current diet out of a different protein source like salmon, duck, or lamb can bring about relief.

Even the cleanest, most well-maintained home isn’t immune to fleas. Adult female fleas can lay up to 50 nearly microscopic eggs per day, leaving most people unaware that their space has been infested until they find themselves (and their pets) covered in itchy bites.

While bringing your cats indoors keeps them safe from a lengthy list of environmental hazards, fleas can easily sneak under the radar and introduce serious health problems. Whether your cat roams the neighborhood or just your home, routine flea prevention is important for wellness.

Flea-Borne Illnesses in Cats

A flea infestation is more than just a nuisance. These tiny insects play host to infectious bacteria and parasites that can affect both you and your household cats.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are long, segmented parasites that invade pets’ gastrointestinal systems and leech off their nutrients. When cats try to groom flea-infested skin, they can easily swallow adult fleas that have eaten tapeworm eggs. These eggs hatch and mature inside pets’ small intestines.

Because individual tapeworm segments can be quite small, many pet parents aren’t aware of an infection until their cat begins to show signs of malnutrition.

Bartonellosis (Cat Scratch Disease)

Flea feces harbor the bacteria that causes bartonellosis, more commonly known as cat scratch disease.

Cats who have been exposed to fleas can ingest this harmful bacteria while grooming. When a carrier animal scratches another cat or human, it can pass bartonellosis.

Symptoms of cat scratch disease are similar in humans and felines, including:

Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Swollen glands

Severe cases of bartonellosis require antibiotics.

Flea Allergies

All cats find flea bites itchy, but for 50% of domestic cats, fleas are the cause of allergic dermatitis. A reaction to flea bites can lead to inflamed skin, cystic acne, and hairless patches.

How Fleas Get Inside Your Home

You’re fastidious about your living environment — how could fleas find their way in?

Thanks to their small size and rapid reproduction cycle, fleas are experts at home invasion. Here are some of their most common pathways.

Other Animals

If you’re adding a pet to your family, ensuring that your new addition is flea-free sounds like a no-brainer. However, it’s much harder to prevent unwelcome residents, like mice and rats, from introducing fleas into your home. Rodents are common carriers of both fleas and flea-borne illnesses, so it’s important to address pest problems quickly for the safety of your pets.

Visitors

Fleas can hitchhike on the skin or clothing of people who have been exposed to an infestation. Pet sitters, home maintenance professionals, and friends can sometimes be unwitting vehicles for parasites.

Used Clothing & Furniture

Secondhand items that appear clean can sometimes harbor flea eggs if they’ve spent time in an infested environment. Take precautions and disinfect used goods before you bring them inside.

Flea Infestation Symptoms

Fleas are so tiny and fast-moving, an infestation can take hold without ever spotting an individual flea. Seek treatment if your cat is displaying any of these symptoms:

Excessive biting, licking, or chewing
Red, irritated skin
Sores
Hair loss
Restlessness
Lethargy or pale gums (anemia)

Choose the Best Flea Treatment

Fortunately, prevention is simple to administer and fairly inexpensive.

Most feline flea treatments are available in monthly or three-month topical doses and work best when all household cats are on the same prevention cycle. Your veterinarian can help you choose a flea prevention routine that suits the needs of your family.

Note: dog flea preventatives are formulated with ingredients that are highly toxic to cats, even at the correct dose per weight. Never give a canine flea treatment to your cat, and seek help right away in the event of a mix up.

Holiday meals mean holiday leftovers. It can be hard to ignore your dog’s longing looks as you pack away that turkey and stuffing. After all, what’s the harm in a few bites?

As irresistible as your dog may find table scraps, many of the ingredients that make them delicious can pose grave short- and long-term threats to their health. Before you let your pet chow down on human food, it’s important to understand the risks.

Turkey or Chicken Bones

Bones are so strongly associated with dogs that many pet parents assume they are a safe treat. Though they may be tasty, leftover bones can cause many potentially serious health problems.

Bones that are boiled in stock or roasted inside a cut of beef or poultry soften significantly during the cooking process. As your dog chews, these bones can break into small pieces that become a choking hazard or splinter into sharp fragments.

Dogs who swallow sharp pieces of bone are at risk for:

Injuries to the mouth and esophagus
Internal bleeding
Intestinal obstruction
Peritonitis (abdominal inflammation)
Constipation

If your dog accidentally swallows a cooked bone, monitor them closely for signs of choking or distress and call your vet right away.

Rich and Fatty Foods

We all know what it’s like to feel bloated and uncomfortable after overindulging in rich foods during a holiday meal. For dogs, differences in body chemistry and their smaller size can magnify this discomfort many times over.

Fatty foods like turkey skin, grease, gravy, and items prepared with oil or butter can put a strain on your dog’s pancreas, the organ that produces digestive enzymes. This inflammation of the pancreas, or pancreatitis, is life-threatening and extremely painful. Get your dog to the emergency vet if you notice:

A distended stomach
Vomiting
Signs of dehydration
Fever
Loss of appetite
Weakness

Toxic Hidden Ingredients

The ingredient lists for our favorite holiday dishes can be long. You would never feed your dog a leftover brownie, but it’s easy to forget that casseroles and salads can contain foods that are harmful to dogs.

If you aren’t completely certain what goes in your Aunt Alice’s famous stuffing, keep it out of reach of your pets. From garlic and onions, which can cause gastroenteritis, to grapes and raisins, which can cause renal failure in very small amounts, unfamiliar leftovers are risky business.

Bad Table Manners

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas season, emergency veterinarians see an uptick in food-related incidents. Though some of these are the result of pet owners unknowingly feeding their dogs something toxic or harmful, they frequently occur because dogs get into the trash or help themselves to unattended food.

Feeding your dog from the table can encourage nuisance behaviors like begging, but it can also unintentionally set the precedent that human food is up for grabs. Dogs who are regularly offered table scraps won’t recognize that your uneaten raisin-filled bread pudding is off-limits, and the results can be disastrous.

If you want to share a snack with your pet, choose a safe treat like a carrot or apple, and offer it away from the dinner table. Rewarding your dog in a structured way not only discourages counter surfing, but can also keep you out of the emergency vet this holiday season.

"Of all possessions, a friend is the most precious."

- Heradotus