Christmas with dogs

Can I feed my dog Christmas dinner?

If your dog is healthy and has no allergies to the foods listed, it’s ok to feed them a small amount of these foods at Christmas:

• Turkey meat but avoid bones and the skin
• Brussel sprouts
• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Peas
• Green beans
• Swede
• Potatoes (mashed if they don’t contain butter)
• Sweet potato

Foods that are poisonous to dogs

• Chocolate, a small amount can cause serious illness. Dark chocolate is the most dangerous and if your dogs eats this you should contact your vet immediately.
• Garlic, chives, shallots and leeks are poisonous to dogs even if raw, so if these ingredients are in your gravy, avoid giving the gravy to you dog.
• Mince pies
• Christmas pudding – grapes, currants, raisins and sultanas can cause kidney failure.
• Macadamia nuts
• Sweets a lot of sweets that are eaten over Christmas contain a sugar free sweetener, xylitol, which is poisonous to dogs.

Christmas trees such as pine, spruce and fir are not highly toxic to dogs however, the oils they produce and the pine needles that drop on the floor can be a risk causing mild stomach or blockage if they are eaten.

Traditional plants that are toxic to dogs include holly, ivy, mistletoe and poinsettia.

As plenty of people will be letting fireworks off on New Years Eve check out our Shop for the Pet Remedy Party Season Survival Kit which is still on offer.

Treats

If you are thinking of buying some treats for your dogs this Christmas, please try and avoid rawhide. It can be very dangerous, causing intestinal blockages, choking hazards, broken teeth and if it’s not treated properly can cause E coli and salmonella . There are many safer alternatives available for your dogs to chew, e.g. Kong Toys etc. Rawhide is actually a by-product of the leather industry and it’s made from the inner layer of cow or horse hides. This inner rawhide is treated, dehydrated and then formed into dog chews like the rawhide bones. Part of the preparation involves dipping into high salt brines to prevent decay and that makes it very salty. It’s cleaned with detergent and harsh chemicals are used to remove the hair .