August 30, 2023 (AUSTIN, Texas) – As the upcoming Labor Day weekend approaches, Thrive Pet Healthcare encourages pet owners to celebrate with their well-mannered dogs by including them in festive get-togethers. While enjoying quality time with your canine companion, it's important to be aware of potential hazards associated with certain cookout foods and take measures to ensure your dog's safety and comfort during the festivities.
"We believe dogs are cherished family members, and there's no reason they can't join in the fun during special occasions like Labor Day," says Dr. Anthony Coronado, Thrive Pet Healthcare’s National Director of Emergency Services and Urgent Care. "By following a few simple guidelines, pet owners can create memorable moments while keeping their canine friends safe and happy."
Avoid Feeding Your Dog These Foods
Labor Day cookouts can be a blast for everyone, including your beloved four-legged friends. However, it's crucial to keep them safe by avoiding these toxic foods:
Onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives
Grapes and raisins
Avocados
Chocolate
Corn cobs (cause intestinal obstruction)
Alcohol (and watch out for diet alcoholic beverages with xylitol)
Caffeine (includes soft drinks, iced tea, energy drinks, coffee and chocolate drinks)
Raw meat (can contain bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli that can be harmful to pets and people)
Cooked bones (will splinter into shards that can cause choking and serious damage to your dog’s mouth, throat or intestines)
Sausages and fatty meats
Fatty meat drippings (rich in oils that can cause pancreatitis)
Potato salad (can contain ingredients that are unhealthy or unsafe for your dog like mayonnaise, onions or garlic powder)
Mustard (can cause stomach upset and vomiting)
Ketchup (typically contains garlic, onions, preservatives and other chemicals)
Barbeque sauce (contains large quantities of salt and sugar along with alliums, which can lead to pancreatitis and anemia)
Ice cream (contains a lot of sugar and some dogs are lactose intolerant)
Salty snacks like potato chips, pretzels and peanuts (are high in sodium and may result in sodium poisoning if consumed in large amounts)
What Outdoor Cookout Foods are Safe for Your Dog to Eat?
While some foods are off-limits, others can be shared with your furry friend, such as:
Fresh fruit: blueberries and bananas, as well as cantaloupe, watermelon and apples (remove seeds)
Unseasoned raw or cooked veggies
Cooked, unseasoned fish, pork and shrimp, and skinless chicken and turkey
Hot dogs in small pieces and quantities
Small to moderate quantities of cheese, especially lower-fat varieties
Raw, unsalted peanut butter
Unsalted, unbuttered popcorn
Create a Paws-itive Experience for Your Dog
To ensure your dog safely enjoys the Labor Day festivities:
Keep your dog on a leash or under close supervision
Monitor the grill and prevent access to charcoal
Keep food waste and trashcans out of reach
Educate guests (including children) about not feeding your dog
Offer your dog a quiet retreat if they become overwhelmed
Don’t Forget the Heat
Take measures to protect your dog from the heat. Provide plenty of water and shade when outside.Keep your dog indoors during the hottest part of the day.
“In some parts of the country, this year's Labor Day promises to be hotter than prior years,” said Dr. Coronado. “Dogs are more temperature-sensitive than humans, and their ability to regulate their body temperature is limited. As a general rule, you shouldn’t keep your dog outside when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Flat-faced breeds such as French bulldogs, pugs, bulldogs and Boston terriers are more prone to heat exhaustion and should be kept indoors when the outside temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Recognize the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke: excessive panting, collapsing, vomiting after drinking, dark red gums, sudden lethargy, and an inability to get up. In severe cases, seizures, death, bloody diarrhea, frequent vomiting, and unresponsiveness may occur. Seek veterinary care immediately if your dog shows signs of a heat-related emergency to prevent organ shutdown and other severe complications.
Have an Emergency Plan
If your dog has a medical emergency over the Labor Day weekend, your family veterinarian may be closed for the holiday. Keep a list of nearby urgent care and emergency veterinary hospitals handy, especially if you will be attending a cookout in an area where you are not familiar with the choices available for veterinary care.
Should your dog ingest a toxic food or questionable substance at the cookout, seek veterinary care or call Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Their treatment advisors will provide you with a case number that veterinarians can reference when treating your dog.
Thrive Pet Healthcare has partnered with Pet Poison Helpline to provide their more than 10,000 veterinary professionals in approximately 400 locations across the country with direct, 24/7 access to animal poison control experts for all species. Direct access to Pet Poison Helpline gives Thrive’s veterinarians one more tool they can use to provide pet owners with the best medical care for toxicities, which can be a game-changer considering how deadly some toxins can be for pets.
To locate a Thrive Pet Healthcare location near you, including primary, specialty, urgent and emergency veterinary care services, visit
www.ThrivePetCare.com.
About Thrive Pet Healthcare:
Thrive Pet Healthcare is a leading veterinary service network that uniquely delivers a continuum of care to pet families and services to veterinary hospitals. With an industry-first membership program and 400 acute, primary, and specialty providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare offers personalized, accessible care through every stage of a pet’s life and health. The veterinarian-founded organization provides premier benefits for practice staff while elevating privately held veterinary hospitals with innovative service and technology solutions. By focusing on the needs and aspirations of veterinary care providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare is supporting the well-being of the industry and raising the national bar for veterinary excellence. To learn more about Thrive Pet Healthcare, please visit
www.thrivepetcare.com.
