Summer Pet Safety: BBQ Foods, Pollen & More Dangers to Avoid

Published on: Jun 2, 2023

When we think of summer, we think of the temperatures rising, the barbeques come out, and the sunbathing begins. But it can also be time when our pets can get themselves into trouble without our help! 

A lot of the same issues which we must contend with, also apply to our pets, for example drinking plenty of fluids, having shaded areas to ensure that we don’t get too hot, pollen throwing our allergies into a spin, and eating as much as we can from the BBQ. The most Important thing to think about is heat stroke, but that has had its own article already this year.  

Although having the family round for food can be exciting, a good amount of the foods that we put on the barbeque can cause our pets serious injury, especially if you have a dog who is partial to removing as much from the kitchen sides as possible! As you can see from the picture, butter wouldn’t melt! Zeus would happily remove all edible and inedible items from any available surface and consume them immediately if given any chance, so this means we must be prepared. This is particularly true when the barbeque comes out! 

We cook many items on the BBQ that can become dangerous if eaten by our pets, as they can cause damage and blockage to the digestive system, and some can be toxic in certain quantities. some examples are corn on the cobs, particularly the mini variety, which can be swallowed whole, with no chewing at all by even the smallest of dogs, kebab skewers and bones from our chicken wings and legs! These, if not eaten in the correct way, can lead to an upset stomach, and at the worst, can lead to emergency surgery. Some toxic items which we have around when we BBQ, include onion, garlic, alcohol and sugar free drinks. 

It can be difficult to identify the signs of a blockage caused by one of these objects, as it can present in a very similar way to a stomach upset, with vomiting and abdominal pain initially. So its best to avoid the chance of this occurring if at all possible! 

During the summer the pollen levels increase, we are past the worst of the tree pollens now, and we are heading into the grass pollen season. This can cause respiratory problems for us but causes itchiness and skin changes in our pets. They start to scratch and can get bald patches appearing where this happens. It sometimes then stops once we move into the winter season again. We can help these symptoms with medications, and sometimes even allergy vaccines which are administered once a month and can help alleviate some of the discomfort felt.  

If you feel that your pets are having these struggles, let us know, and we can try to help to make them feel better!