Cookout Season Safety Concerns

We’ve seen and smelled the grills outside already this season. People are anxious to shake off the winter blues and get started with the Summer activities in record time this year it seems. With the traditional cookout and party comes some safety concerns for those of us with pets, however, so here are a few things to keep in mind before you barbeque.
Pets at an outdoor party are no doubt going to get excited around so many people and, more to the point, around so much food. Many of the fatty foods that we eat off of the grill, however, are not especially good for our pets in large quantities. Pancreatitis can result from the consumption of too much fatty or spicy food, so you might want to be sure your guests understand the rules about feeding the pets.
Small bones in chicken, for example, can also be harmful to pets who may swallow them whole and pay the price for their exuberance later. Alcohol is also a common sight at cookouts, and it’s probably not a good idea under any circumstances to let your pets consume the booze. They just can’t handle it like people can, due in large measure to their lower body weights. Alcohol, even in small measures, can be very harmful and even deadly to pets, so please don’t even consider it.