Pet Safety – BBQ Safety Tips

Pet Safety

This month is Pet Safety Month at Two Little Cavaliers. The goal of this month is to remind all of you about the dangers that lurk in and around your home that you might not realize or just hadn’t thought about. We hope our Pet Safety Tips help keep your dogs happy and healthy this summer and all year round. We started off Pet Safety Month with 10 Summer Safety Tips where we touched on Summer BBQ’s. I thought I would expand on BBQ Safety Tips a bit today since the 4th of July is later this week.







BBQ Safety Tips
1. Make sure that if your pet is out in the yard with the BBQ going that there is someone watching the BBQ at all times. All of that meat cooking on the BBQ can be too much of a temptation and your dog could jump up and snatch it and burn themselves in the process.

2. If you are going to share some meat with your dogs make sure it is a lean mean. Don’t cut off the fat from your steak and give your dog the fat. Too much fat can cause stomach upset and in bad cases pancreatic issues. Chicken, hamburger, steak, turkey, and fish in moderation are all fine. Cut up the protein and let it cool before giving it to your dogs. Leave off the onion from their hamburger. Like with people raw onion can cause anemia in your dog it but it takes a lot less for your dog to feel the effects.

3. Serve Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, grapefruit, peaches or berries. These are all healthy safe choices for your pet to share. Leave the grapes off the menu they are toxic and can be deadly to your dog. Why not serve Grilled Peaches and top it with ice cream?

4. Put a bowl of water with an ice cube or two out for your dog to drink during the BBQ. You could even make fancy ice cubes but putting some cut up fruit in the water before freeing it and then your dog gets a special treat when the ice melts. Your dog will need a lot of water especially if they are getting some of the salted and seasoned meat off the grill.

5. NEVER GIVE YOUR DOGS COOKED BONES! Cooked bones splinter and can cut your dogs mouth or if they swallow them can puncture their stomach or esophagus.

6. If your dog get a cut up chicken breast and some potato and fruit out by the BBQ to limit the amount of regular dog food your give them that night. No need to end a great day outdoors with a dog that has a really upset tummy from eating too much.

7. Corn goes in the same way it goes out. While not a necessary food group and one that some dogs do have sensitivities to, for the most part kernels of corn are harmless to your dog. Make sure to take the corn off the cob though as the cob can create a blockage in their stomachs which would require a trip to the emergency vet.

8. BBQ Safety Tip? Make sure that both humans and dogs have a cool place in the shade to relax. Even though we associate BBQ with Summer Fun all of those meats are heavy and take time to digest. With temperatures soaring into the 90’s and in some places over 100 degrees dehydration and heat exhaustion are very possible. If possible grill outside and let everyone come inside to eat their meal.