Holiday feast may be 'to die for' if you're a cat or dog

As families give thanks and feel generous this time of year, it's tempting to want to share the bounty with the family pets. But in their case, some of that holiday buffet can be dangerous.

Take Lucy the Labrador and her canine pals, for instance. Among foods that can make her sick are chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions in any form, sweets, rolls and bread (dogs can have gluten allergies), high-fat foods and cooked bones that can cause choking or internal tearing, according to a post by the Loyal Biscuit Co. on Village Soup.

Better bets, it says, for special treats for canine pals are fresh vegetables, either raw or steamed, a little baked yam or some lean meat.

That list of harmful foods, though, is not comprehensive. It turns out dogs are susceptible to food poisoning from bacteria like salmonella, so undercooked or raw turkey is a no-no. So is dough or cake batter, which can rise in the dog's warm stomach and, oh yeah, it has raw eggs, too, so salmonella could be there, as well, says the I Love Dogs blog by Sonya Simpkins.

A dog that gets into macadamia nuts can, over hours, develop major problems from dizziness and inability to stand to paralysis and tremors. And walnuts are toxic, as well.

The blog also reports that nutmeg has some hallucinogenic properties for dogs that can cause "seizures, tremors and central nervous system problems," up to and including, in severe cases, shock or death. And you'll want to keep sage out of reach, as well, because it can torque a dog's stomach and central nervous system.

Cats and birds are in peril, too, says Breed Trust , which warns holiday cooks to watch out for "counter surfers." It pared down an ASPCA list of toxic foods to match a traditional Thanksgiving meal and came up with alcoholic beverages (the range is diarrhea to death in both dogs and cats), avocados on salads as harmful to dogs and birds, garlic and sage and chives for cats and desserts and coffee with Xylitol, a non-sugar sweetener, for dogs.

The Best Bully Sticks blog echoes many of the previous warnings, but adds mushrooms that can lead to major problems for dogs, as well as chewing gum and candy with the aforementioned Xylitol.

The ASPCA also notes that milk and salt are potentially very bad for pets. They don't have a lot of lactase to break down milk so it can cause gastrointestinal distress. And symptoms that kitty or pooch have had too much salt include "vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death."

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