St. Patrick’s Day is full of fun festivities such as drinking green beer, eating Irish soda bread, decorating your home with shamrocks, dressing up in costumes, and more. While this sounds fun to us, some of these things are hazardous to our pets. Here are some pet safety tips for celebrating St. Paddy’s Day with your pet so that everyone can enjoy the luck of the Irish. 

Costumes

Are you ready to see your Instagram feed get flooded with adorable pets in green costumes? We are!  

If you plan on dressing up your cat or dog, it’s important to keep their costume safe and simple. Dying their fur green is a no-no. They can lick off the dye which could be toxic. You’ll also want to keep an eye on them if their costume has a chin strap or necklace – this is a choking hazard.  

Food

Traditional foods enjoyed on St. Paddy’s Day include Irish soda bread, corned beef, and sauerkraut. Unfortunately, our pets won’t enjoy these foods as much as us.  

The yeast in the raw dough from the Irish soda bread ferments in the stomach and produces alcohol. When absorbed by the bloodstream, it’s toxic for pets. This bread also often contains raisins and currants, both of which are toxic. Ingestion can cause severe kidney damage and even kidney failure.  

Corned beef and sauerkraut are high in fat and salt, which can upset their digestive system and cause vomiting, diarrhea, and even acute pancreatitis.  

But there are tons of pet safe St.Paddy’s treats available. You can purchase green-themed treats from your local pet store or try making your own.  Check out how you could make your own green dog biscuits or shamrock catnip toys.  

Drinks

Keep beer away from pets – even the green kind. While we can freely indulge in the frothy, foamy goodness of the St. Patrick’s Day beverage, our pets don’t share the same tolerance. The tiniest amount can be toxic because their livers can’t handle it. Drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, incoordination, and trouble breathing are signs of alcohol ingestion. If you suspect your pet ingested alcohol, please seek immediate veterinary attention. 

Decorations

Getting a shamrock plant for your home is certainly lucky, but your pet won’t feel the same way if they ingest it. This plant contains soluble calcium oxalates and is toxic to pets. If your dog or cat eats a shamrock, they may experience drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, and head shaking. 

If you receive a shamrock, place it in a high, hard-to-reach area so that your pets cannot get to it.  

There are tons of safer pet decorations you could opt for to bring St. Patrick’s Day into your home. Hang your decorations up high, and avoid things that can easily be chewed, swallowed, or cause your pet to choke. Most importantly, don’t leave your pets unattended in a room full of decorations.