For many people, celebrating summer involves getting together with family and friends and festive cookouts. Nothing beats lounging in the backyard with your favorite people and your family pets, playing fetch with your dog and barbecuing on the grill.  While it may seem like a good idea to feed the family pet scraps of meat from the grill, in reality, some of the foods and products commonly used during this time can be potentially hazardous to our pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is offering pet owners some helpful hints to keep their pets healthy and safe during the outdoor summer season.

Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases. Never leave drinks unattended where pets can reach them.

Do not apply sunscreen to pets or insect repellent products not labeled specifically for animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in gastrointestinal upset (drooling, vomiting, diarrhea), excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent products containing DEET on pets can result in the development of neurologic problems.

Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of the reach of pets. Certain forms of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially cause damage to blood cells and result in difficulty breathing, or even kidney damage in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation, central nervous system depression and if inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

Keep your pet on his/her normal diet. Any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals that have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. Foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes/raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to pets.

Do not put glow jewelry on your pets or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and an intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic container.

Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of the reach of pets. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression, and if inhaled, the oils could potentially cause aspiration pneumonia as well.

If you suspect your pet may have become exposed to a potentially toxic product or substance, call your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately for assistance.