Vet Warning: 'You Don't Need to Give Your Dog a Special Treat at Christmas'
Food plays a big role in Christmas celebrations, but our festive feasting habits can pose dangers to inquisitive dogs.
"Don't feel obliged to give your dog a special treat around Christmas — it's not something they will be expecting, and it might cause a digestive upset if they are not good at coping with different foods," Joe Inglis, Head of Veterinary Science and Nutrition at Biome9, tells Country Living.
Slipping your dog a leftover or two under the table might be common practice for many owners over the holidays, but some dogs struggle to digest new foods.
"Dogs who eat the same foods every day can react badly if you give them a treat. Some people give their dogs a turkey dinner on Christmas, but they've never had it before. Some dogs are not very good at digesting foods like this."
The foods to avoid feeding your dog include chocolate, Christmas cake, raisins, dried fruit, mushrooms, garlic and onions.
"Try to avoid all of those things," says Joe. "It's all down to knowing your dog. I know my dog would be fine, but it could cause a diarrhea episode that you don't want to be clearing up on Boxing Day."
While keeping an eye on what your dog consumes is vital, Christmas Day lunch isn't off the menu completely.
"It does depend on the dog. If you're cooking a turkey for Christmas, then some turkey meat for dogs is a great protein source for them. Try to avoid the fatty bits that you don't want to eat. Roast potatoes are also a healthy thing for dogs to eat," adds Joe.
"You can create a Christmas dinner for your dog with similar foods that you might eat yourself. Mash up the Christmas veg and turkey and add it to their dinner. Avoid things like sausages and gravy which tend to be very salty. Some dogs will enjoy cleaning up a plate after Christmas dinner, which won't harm them, but generally, leftovers can be fatty and greasy and are not a good idea."
Dog dangers are not limited to Christmas dinners. "If your dog tends to eat things he shouldn't, then be careful of plastic toys lying around and decorations on the tree," says Joe.
"Take care around young children and babies, especially if your dog isn't used to being around them. You might think your dog is perfectly well-behaved, but it's a different story when a little toddler comes to touch his ears. You can't trust dogs to be completely predictable."
If your dog eats something potentially dangerous over the Christmas break, call your local vet or emergency vet.
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