The sun is shining and there's a beautiful warm breeze in the air: time to bring out the barbecue! However, if you have a furbaby as cheeky as mine then as soon as the meat comes off the BBQ their eyes become the size of dinner plates and soon the begging will start. As heartbreaking as it is to say no to those longing eyes, here are 10 BBQ items you really do need to avoid giving them.
1). Meat on the bone - I know: it seems silly, right? Unfortunately, bbq meat such as ribs and chicken wings have been known to break and splinter under pet jaws and this can cause major issues to your pet's respiratory system. This is probably due to the bones becoming weaker under the heat of the BBQ. If you are going to feed your pet meat from the bbq, de-bone it first!
2). Flavoured Meat - these are usually the delicious meats that make the bbq aroma fill the air due to the spices sizzling. But what exactly is in the aromatic rub? You cannot guarantee that it won't upset your pet's stomach so it's best not to risk it.
3). Hot Dogs - the frankfurter variety - if you're cooking hot dogs on the bbq make sure your pet doesn't find their way into eating one of these; the salt, preservatives and 'filler' cereals within this processed food isn't great for humans and is even worse for your pet. If you are cooking hot dogs (of the sausage variety) then one won't do any harm to your pet, but maybe cut it up so they don't chow down on it too quickly!
4). Alcohol - as mentioned in a previous Hoobynoo Pet's Blog Post, Alcohol is extremely dangerous to our pets as their bodies cannot break down the chemicals within the beverage and it poisons them. This, however, doesn't mean they wont be tempted by an abandoned drink if it's hot outside. Keep your drinks out of pet's reach and keep their water bowls topped up: maybe throw in an ice cube or two.
5). Onions - keep an eye on those roasting onions you have ready for your burgers and make sure they are away from your dog. The onion family can cause a lot of harm to your dog's red blood cells if they ingest enough and will cause them to become weak and easily tired - though these symptoms may not be seen until a few days after digestion.
6). Crisps and Dip - If your bbq is anything like ours there's a lot of nibbles on the table for people to come and go as they please. But these delicious snacks contain a lot of salt and that's not good for our pets to eat as they are more likely to get sodium poisoning, which can be fatal. Watch out for dips that contain avocado like Guacamole as they will contain persin which is highly dangerous to small animals as well as some larger animals like horses. Although the contained chemical 'persin' is not as dangerous for house hold pets like cats and dogs, it can lead to stomach pains or an upset stomach - especially if there are garlic and onion in the dip!
7). Salads containing Grapes and similar Fruits - the small juicy fruit should go nowhere near your furbaby. Grapes have been known to cause kidney failure and dehydration. For some pets the effects of eating grapes can be seen imminently through vomiting, others months go by unnoticed until long term kidney health issues arise.
8). Desserts (especially those of a Chocolate Variety) paws off pup, this one is certainly not for you. As mentioned in our Previous Hoobynoo Pets Blog - Puddings containing chocolate are a big no no as it is very toxic to dogs and other pets. However we should also keep in mind not to feed heavily creamed or dairy puddings and 'sugar free' or sweetened desserts as they contain a chemical called 'Xylitol'. This chemical like ones found in chocolate can be fatal to pets.
