Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, seasonal sights, sounds, and smells are a delight to us all, yet for our dogs, it might be a little different. It’s a time when lots of unusual things are brought into the house, these items can be exciting but also dangerous to our furry friends.
As happy as we are to treat our pets a let them join in this seasonal indulgence not everything is as digestible for them as it is for us. Our friends at Dogs Trust have created this list of items that could make your dog poorly this Christmas and are a handy guide to keep an eye out for potential holiday hazards.
Christmas foods
Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is poisonous to dogs, as well as other animals such as cats, rodents, and rabbits.
It’s also good to know that the darker chocolate is, the higher the concentration of theobromine making it more poisonous. White chocolate contains very little theobromine but has a high-fat content that can still make your dog ill.
Raisins, grapes, currants, and sultanas are all toxic to dogs. Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, fruit cake, and mince pies all contain at least one of these foods so are to be strictly avoided to stay safe.
Macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs, some macadamia nuts are covered in chocolate and so pose a double risk to dogs.
Roquefort and other blue cheeses contain a substance called roquefortine C, which is produced by the fungus used to produce these cheeses. Dogs are sensitive to this and consumption can cause problems.
Alcohol – dogs are more sensitive to ethanol than humans. Even a small amount can cause effects. Some alcoholic drinks may be more appealing to dogs, such as cream or egg-based drinks so need to be kept out of reach.
Cooked bones – it might be tempting to share your offcuts or leftovers with your pets but remember that bones become brittle and can easily splinter and cause serious internal damage.
Eating chicken, turkey, or goose carcasses may cause larger pieces of bone to cause an obstruction, while smaller pieces may irritate the gut, or even penetrate the stomach or intestinal wall, which can require surgery.
Keep your dog out of the kitchen while preparing your Christmas meal and put any bones in an outside bin and out of reach.
Allium species – this means anything from the allium family which includes onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives, and are all poisonous to your pooch. Avoid feeding your pup anything containing sage, or onion which is in stuffing, onion-based gravy, or any other allium-based foods.
Holiday Plants
Dogs are very sensitive to Poinsettia plants, and they can make them very poorly.
Holly leaves are very spiky and may cause damage if eaten. Holly and Mistletoe berries can cause a dog to have a gastric upset.
Ivy vine may cause a tummy upset if eaten. Substantial or prolonged skin contact can cause irritation or an allergic reaction.
Christmas trees
Most species of Christmas trees are of low toxicity, but oils from the needles may be irritating to the mouth and stomach. Needles from the tree are sharp and can cause physical injury.
Tinsel, ornaments, and Christmas lights look magical to us, but dogs see them as exciting toys to be played with! Not only can tree lights may cause an electric shock if chewed they can cause serious damage and your dog if ingested.
Chocolate hung from your tree or chocolate presents left under the tree may be very tempting to your dog. Please keep these out of reach!
Even when we are conscious and careful about what we feed our pets, sometimes accidents do happen. If you are concerned that your dog may have eaten something they shouldn’t have, please contact the practice as soon as possible via our emergency number.
