The Kaju Katli Counter-Surfing Scare: Our Emergency Pancreatitis Vigil

I set the box down on our low entryway console table while I stepped to the kitchen to sign the delivery slip and wash my hands. In the 30 seconds I was turned away, Shiro's acute nose detected the aroma of concentrated cashew paste, butter fats, and sugar. When I walked back into the foyer, his front paws were resting on the bench, and his wet nose was literally half an inch from tearing the corner of the silver-vark box. My heart leaped into my throat. The combination of concentrated fats and potentially toxic raisins could have triggered an immediate acute pancreatitis attack or acute renal failure. I used our emergency 'Leave It' command with calm authority, and to his credit, Shiro dropped his paws back to the tile floor and looked up at me. That heart-stopping close call was our wake-up call. We moved every single festive sweet box into high overhead kitchen cabinets behind a locked door, installed a sturdy pressure-mounted safety gate across the kitchen entryway, and set up a dedicated jar of dog-safe pumpkin biscuits by the front door for festive guests.