As exciting as Christmas is, there are many things that are about at Christmas, that are potentially dangerous for your dogs, we wanted to highlight these for you so that you can remove the potential danger and not have to spend time at the vets with your dog(s) over Christmas.
Over Christmas we love to indulge with our food and drink but this creates additional temptation to your dogs, especially those that are really food driven. Keep all food and drink well out of your dog’s reach and don't leave your dog unattended with human food. Also watch out for guests giving your dog’s titbits of human food as treats not knowing the dangers.
Chocolate (particularly dark chocolate) is very toxic for dogs and can cause long term issues and even death. Keep chocolate decorations off the tree and don't put any wrapped chocolate gifts under the tree.
Grapes/Raisins/Currants/Sultanas can cause dogs to have sickness, diarrhoea and even kidney failure.
Onions/Garlic/Leeks/Chives/Shallots can be toxic both cooked and uncooked. They can cause sickness and diarrhoea and even lead to red blood cell damage and anaemia.
Alcohol can have a similar effect in dogs as it does in their owners when drunk in excess. They can become wobbly and drowsy and in severe cases, there is a risk of low body temperature, low blood sugar and coma.
Macadamia Nuts can cause lethargy, increased body temperature, tremor, lameness and stiffness in dogs.
Silica Gel, Gift Wrap, Potpourri, Decorations and Candles are also around more over the festive period. These need to be kept out of reach of your dogs too.
Christmas Plants can cause skin and mouth irritation, sickness and diarrhoea as well as internal injuries from sharp points. These could include Holly, Ivy, Poinsettias, Christmas Trees and Mistletoe.
Rawhide is sold as festive gifts for dogs in a lot of pet shops and high street shops in the run up to Christmas as a ‘cheap’ and ‘fun’ chew, make sure you check the information/ingredients on any presents you get for dog and don’t be afraid to quietly dispose of them. See our Rawhide Dangers article for more information.
We hope you find this helpful, this isn't a full list of all the potential dangers or us trying to scare you all, we just wanted to make you aware of some potential dangers and to help prevent you ended up at the vets with your dog when you want to be at home with your family/guests and four legged friends!
With Woofs and Wags,
Laura, Dolly & Reggie