Naughty Counter-Surfing Dog Ends Up in ER for Thanksgiving After Eating Common Holiday Ingredients 

Snoopy the dog is here with a warning for four-legged food thieves this holiday season: be careful what you let them eat.

Snoopy and his family are sharing their story to help other pet parents avoid a frightening trip to the emergency vet. According to his owner and Pet Poison Helpline, Snoopy spent Thanksgiving recovering after getting into ingredients commonly used in holiday cooking.

Just before Thanksgiving 2024, Snoopy’s owner, Kiana Sutherlin, was frying chicken and took extra precautions to keep the food away from her mischievous pup.

“Snoopy is a notorious counter surfer,” Sutherlin said in a statement. “We’ve tried to train him, but it’s his way or no way. I was cooking some fried chicken wings, and I added several ounces of both onion and garlic powder. I also used a full bottle of cooking oil, and what was left of a second bottle. After I was done cooking, I placed the pan full of used oil at the back of the stovetop and covered it so Snoopy couldn’t get to it.”

Sutherlin chose the spot carefully because she knew onion and garlic can be toxic to dogs.

Even with those safeguards, Snoopy still found a way. While the family was distracted by a phone call, he climbed onto the counter near the stove and licked up almost all of the used oil.

Not long after ingesting the oil—seasoned with both onion and garlic powder—Snoopy started vomiting everything he’d eaten.

“I stayed with him the next day, and he was whining and crying while continuing to vomit. I called the emergency veterinarian, and they recommended I call Pet Poison Helpline,” Sutherlin said.

She contacted Pet Poison Helpline and shared a detailed list of what Snoopy had consumed, including the oil and seasonings. Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, explained why the situation was so serious.

“Onions and garlic can be deadly to pets if ingested in a large enough quantity, with garlic being five times as potent,” Schmid said. “Snoopy consumed used cooking oil that contained large amounts of onion and garlic powder, which is even more concentrated and therefore more dangerous.”

Based on that information, Pet Poison Helpline advised Sutherlin to take Snoopy to an emergency veterinary hospital—BluePearl Pet Hospital in Arden Hills, Minnesota.

“Because we had called Pet Poison Helpline in advance, they were able to develop a recommended treatment plan that was ready by the time we got to the hospital,” Sutherlin said.

At the hospital, Snoopy received an antiemetic to stop the vomiting, fluid therapy to rehydrate him, and gastrointestinal protectants to reduce diarrhea and irritation. He spent Thanksgiving and the following weekend recovering and had bloodwork done every few days to make sure the onion and garlic hadn’t damaged his red blood cells.

Thankfully, Snoopy made a full recovery and is back to his energetic, curious self. This year, his family is changing their kitchen routine to prevent a repeat scare.

“Snoopy is very sweet, but he’s a bull in a China shop,” Sutherlin said. “No matter what we do, it’s his way, so we had to change our habits. We make sure all garbage is secure, and we clean up right after we cook.”