Christmas Treats

December is the time of year when there seems to be a party every weekend. This includes indulgent food, a few too many drinks, present swapping and hopefully some relaxing.

As we relax and enjoy some well-earned time off work (for some) we can take our eye off the ball, so I’ve put together a quick list of foods that are toxic for dogs that are most prominent around Christmas time.

· Chocolate – an obvious one yes but items that could be dotted around in festive bowls for constant nibbles. The higher percentage of cocoa the higher the toxicity.

· Christmas pudding & mince pies – the grapes and dried vine fruits such as sultanas, raisins and currants can cause severe kidney failure in dogs

· Macadamia nuts – these can cause lethargy, weakness in the back legs, increased body temperature tremors and stiffness.

· Sweets – some varieties like candy canes can contain xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener which is poisonous to dogs.

· Onions, Shallots, Leeks, Garlic & Chives – these food items belong to the allium species of plant and are poisonous to dogs whether cooked or uncooked.

· Alcohol – again another obvious one but drinks lying around to avoid spillages from a height means the perfect angle for the dog to have a taste. Similar effects in humans if alcohol is consumed appear in dogs as well.

A top tip from my family’s experiences is not to leave buffet food out on the table and your dog unattended. One year our Kerry Blue terrier helped herself to our Indian platter on the kitchen table, with helpful untucked chairs to help her, whilst we were all in the lounge eating and watching Dr Who. She seemed to particularly like any Indian food throughout her life so seeing her opportunity Maille made sure to take it! No lasting damage was done, maybe a few smelly passes of wind and unpleasant poops but just a prime example of relaxing and switching off that we forgot to put things out of reach.

Another tip is to make sure your outside bins are secure. Our rescue Airedale terrier, Bentley, helped himself to the turkey carcass from grandad’s dustbin on Boxing Day. Cue an emergency trip to the vet for my uncle and grandad due to my parents visiting my brother up north and I must not have been of driving age. Safe to say the cost of that bill taught us to keep bungee cords on the lids as old habits of Bentley’s foraging as a neglected puppy were still installed in him.

As we have decorations around this festive season too, below is a list of plants that are toxic to dogs.

· Holly

· Mistletoe

· Poinsettia

· Ivy

· Potpourri

Also, be careful of any needles that drop from your real Christmas tree. Although not toxic, they can get stuck in your dog’s paws plus cause a bad stomach or blockage if eaten.

I hope I haven’t taught you to suck eggs with this month’s blog but shared that even those who work in the dog industry get it wrong sometimes! We are all human.

Lydia x