Pet owners are funny people, most treat their fur babies, like that, like little human children.  However, that's probably not a good thing for your pet.

Get our free mobile app

Don't get me wrong I am personally guilty of treating my pets like children.  They get treats and the occasional human food snack, and I even have sweaters for them to wear when they get cold.  Plus, of course, they are allowed on the bed and couches.

Cat and Dog eating and drinking Santa's cookies and milk.
WebSubstance
loading...

According to a new study by Oodle Life, it's not good to treat your pets like little humans, especially at Christmas.  The study showed that 85% of pet-owning households in Texas admit to giving their pets special treatment over Christmas. This equates to over 4.2 million households.

“<em>They’re always on your side, they keep you company when you’re feeling sad or lonely, and they bring endless joy with their loyalty and adorable behavior” </em>says Chris Allen, Founder &amp; CEO of Oodle Life.<em> “However, as much as we love them, it’s important to remember that they’re not actually human, and they shouldn’t be treated as such</em>."
Labrador puppy looking up tangled up in Chirstmas lights.
kandypix
loading...

Here are some things you probably want to avoid doing to your pet.

  • Dressing your dog in a Christmas sweater may impede its ability to regulate its own temperature, so is best avoided. But there are always exceptions to every rule.  When outdoors, even dogs with thick coats can get hypothermia or frostbite in freezing weather, according to the American Kennel Club. If the temperature drops to the mid-40s Fahrenheit, it's definitely time to dress that pet.
  • Holding or carrying them like a baby for prolonged periods can cause obesity, and inflammation of the joints and hinder their ability to cope with their environment, leading to anxiety.
  • Hugging a pet could cause anxiety.
  • Giving them human Christmas food can cause conditions such as obesity or malnutrition.

Created by Oodle-Life • Viewlarger version

I am personally guilty of half of these things.  They are just so cute and cuddly when they are all dressed up in their Christmas sweaters.

Here's a list of foods be toxic and dangerous to your pet:

Alcoholic beverages, Apple seeds, Apricot pits, Avocados, Cherry pits, Candy, (especially chocolate and any candy containing Xylitol), Chives, Coffee, Garlic,
Grapes, Gum (especially gum sweetened with Xylitol), Hops, Macadamia nuts, Moldy foods, Mushroom plants, Mustard seeds, Onions, onion powder and onion flakes, Peach pits, Potato leaves and stems, Raisins, Rhubarb leaves, Salt, Tea, Tomato leaves and stems, Walnuts, Xylitol (this is toxic to pets), Yeast dough.

Hopefully, you can find fun and safe ways to celebrate Christmas with your pets this year.

Check out these 50 fascinating facts about dogs:

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

KEEP READING: Here are 6 foods from your cookout that could harm your dog

 

More From 101.9 The Bull