5 Foods to Avoid Giving Your Dog This Christmas

When we are eating delicious Christmas food, we often feel guilty for not sharing it with our furry friends. However, some human food can cause more harm than good. Here are some common Christmas treats you shouldn’t give your dog.

1. Cooked ham and chicken bones
   Bones are a serious choking hazard as the bone becomes weak through cooking, your dog chewing on them can cause sharp shards to form which your doggo will try and consume. If the shards make it past the esophagus it can lead to blockages in the gastrointestinal tract which can result in invasive exploratory laparotomy surgery to remove the foreign body. Which can turn your relaxing summer into a stressful and expensive one. It is important that you are disposing of food scraps where they are out of reach from your pets to avoid this too.
2. Fatty/Salty Meat
   You might have noticed that if we try to change our pets food suddenly this can cause a stomach upset and we can see symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting. It can also happen if we feed our pet our “yummy” food. Their body is not used to digesting festive food, in some cases the high fat concentration levels can cause pancreatitis. Like us, the consumption of meat high in fat and salt content can lead to obesity and can cause pain to our pets as the extra weight puts a strain on the joints and can lead to arthritis.
3. Chocolate
   There is an ingredient in chocolate called theobromine which is toxic to dogs. The side effects can be vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, abnormal heart rate, and can be fatal. If you suspect that your dog has consumed chocolate, seek medical advice from your local veterinary clinic as soon as possible- they will need information from you such as what type of chocolate they have consumed, approximately how much and how long ago.

   This is a chocolate calculator to determine the toxicity level: https://www.vets-now.com/dog-chocolate-toxicity-calculator/

4. Onions
   Onions contain N-propyl which is toxic to dogs, it damages red blood cells which can cause anemia (lack of red blood cells which provide the body oxygen) and can cause death. According to the American Kennel club, onions have toxic effects when 100 grams of an onion per 20 kg of body weight has been consumed.
5. Christmas Cake (Raisins)
   Grapes are highly toxic to dogs and even the consumption of a single grape can lead to kidney failure and even death. Raisins aren’t any different. They are dried grapes and are just as toxic and should be avoided. It is not yet proven which part of the grape is toxic to dogs. If you are concerned your vet should be contacted as soon as possible.