As we look forward to the festive season, it is sometimes easy to forget about our pet’s needs. As wonderful as the house looks with all the decorations, and as tasty as all the Christmas treats are, unfortunately both can pose hazardous to our pets. Foods to avoid giving your pet at Christmas
Chocolate- Raisins and grapes (includes mince pies and Christmas pudding!)
- Coffee
- Mushrooms
- Cooked bones and fatty food
- Peanuts and macadamia nuts
- Onions and garlic
- Goes without saying… alcoholic beverages
As tempting as it may be to avoid waste, we would advise you against giving your pet any leftovers if you want to avoid ‘Turkey Tummy’. Not only will this cause diarrhoea (no-one really wants to have to clean up an additional mess on St Stephens morning…) but cooked bones can splinter and get lodged in your pet’s throat or intestinal tract. Our pets do much better sticking to their regular diet. That’s not to say they won’t beg when they smell the Christmas delights, but consider keeping them out of the kitchen when you ar
Here are a few reminders of the things to look out for over the festive period in order to keep your pet safe. Chocolate Chocolate is unfortunately a common cause of poisoning in pets. It contains theobromine which affects the nervous system and heart. It is a common problem over Christmas due to the number of chocolate decorations hung on trees, and boxes of chocolates left out or even wrapped under the tree. A sufficient quantity of any chocolate is poisonous but much smaller amounts of dark chocolate will cause problems. Please keep chocolate out of reach of your pet and avoid giving it as a treat! Grapes, Raisins and Sultanas As well as being one of the main ingredients in Christmas cake and pudding, these are also present in many chocolate bars. There is no specific toxic dose as different animals will tolerate different amounts and just a small amount can lead to kidney failure in some animals. Turkey Be aware that many Christmas foods are very rich and fatty. Think carefully before giving your pet leftovers as you could end up with a stomach upset to contend with. Cleaning up after your dog wouldn’t be a fun way to spend your Christmas holiday and it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant for him or her either. Poisonous plants Poinsettia, holly and mistletoe are all common plants at this time of year, and