Avoid an Animal Emergency Overtime: Super Sunday Parties Can be Dangerous to your Pet

Your Super Sunday party may be dangerous to your pet. Here are some of my top tips to make sure your Big Game party activities don’t end up with an overtime veterinary emergency.

Your Super Sunday spread may pose hidden health hazards for pets. 

Big Game Weight Gains

Super Sunday now trails only Thanksgiving in terms of U.S. food consumption. This enormous engorgement not only threatens many weight loss resolutions, it also may add unhealthy pounds and dangers to our dogs and cats. Sharing a few nibbles of healthy snacks such as celery or carrots is fine, pizza and wings are not.

When we examine weight gain in humans and pets, big single-day caloric consumption can have life-long consequences. A pet can be fed a healthy, low-calorie diet and have their efforts erased with a huge feast.

What to Avoid and What to Offer

There are several foods you should avoid feeding your pet on Super Sunday. Don’t feed your pet anything fried or battered, covered in creamy sauces and steer clear of salty and sweet snacks. In other words, most of the good stuff.

I recommend limiting any super snacks to crunchy vegetables such as broccoli, baby carrots, zucchini, celery and asparagus. If you're counting calories, keep in mind each chicken wing has about 55 calories. A 20-pound dog fed a single chicken wing is similar to an average adult eating almost seven wings. Feed a 40-pound dog one-half slice of pepperoni pizza and that’s the same as an adult consuming two slices of pepperoni pizza and a 12-ounce cola.  

Americans will consume over 1.25 billion chicken wings during the Big Game. 

Chicken Wing Dangers

It’s not just the calories that worry me. Americans will eat over 1.25 billion chicken wings during the Big Game. That equals 1.25 billion chances for a dog or cat to ingest a bone that can cause serious complications. I'll say it again, don't feed your pets chicken wings due to the risk of intestinal obstruction or worse.

Excess salt poses severe risk for pets. 

Salt Hazards

Another often overlooked risk of chicken wings is salt. One buffalo wing has almost about 160 to 200 mg of sodium. That’s about the amount of sodium recommended for a 20-pound dog in an entire day. If you have an older dog or one with any type of kidney disease, think twice before sharing that wing. Feeding a dog too much salt can cause high blood pressure and can contribute or worsen kidney and heart disease. Other foods high in salt that should not be fed to pets include pizza, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, fries, pretzels, potato chips, canned beef stew, potato salad and many sauces.

Special Teams

Chicken wing bones and salt are not the only potential dangers a pet may face on Super Sunday. Foods such as chocolate, raisins, macadamia nuts, and foods (or gums and mints) containing Xylitol may be toxic, especially to dogs. Eating foods high in fat not only increases calorie intake, but may cause problems such as vomiting and diarrhea or life-threatening pancreatitis. Doggie diarrhea is a sure-fired way to kill any festivity.

Dogs and cats will often lap leftover alcohol, putting them at risk. 

Booze Fumbles

Alcohol is another potential danger for pets. Dogs and cats are extremely sensitive to alcoholic beverages and will often sip from half-empty cups and bottles and become ill. As little as a few ounces of beer or wine can prove toxic to a dog or cat. Never leave any alcoholic beverages unattended and discard any containers as soon as you’re done.

Super Sunday can be stressful for pets. 

Super Stress

One final Super Sunday danger – stress. You may have friends and family over, rooting for your favorite team with lots of loud noises and high-fiving. All of this may excitement may prove especially stressful for the four-legged family members that have little interest in the Big Game. If you notice your dog or cat cowering or pacing, provide a quiet, safe space for them to relax away from the action. Otherwise, you may be awakened early Monday morning by unwelcome stress-related diarrhea.

Here's hoping your Super Sunday isn't followed by a Miserable Monday. Go team!