What Not To Feed Your Pets: The Christmas Edition
Christmas is a time for feasting and indulging, but there are some foods found on our dining tables at this time of year that will do more harm than good when it comes to our pets.
Turkey bones
Birds’ bones contain tiny pockets of air which make their bodies light enough for flight. Unfortunately, these holes also mean the bones themselves are very brittle and easily broken.
Brittle bones, when heated under high temperatures, become even more fragile and likely to shatter, which is why you should never feed them to your pet.
If the bones don’t shatter during eating (which can cause tongue or mouth lacerations) it can happen inside your cat or dog's stomach or intestines. And even if the bones do not break apart they could become stuck either in your pet's throat or intestines.
Onion, garlic and stuffing
Whether cooked, dried, raw or powdered, members of the Allium family (garlic, onion, leek, chive and shallot) are potentially harmful to both cats and dogs. A substance they contain can damage red blood cells and prevent oxygen from being properly transported around the body. This can lead to anaemia and even organ failure.
And it’s not just cats and dogs that are at risk from these foods either. Ingestion can cause rabbits and guinea pigs to go into anaphylactic shock.
Raisins and nuts
Raisins (and other grape products such as currants and sultanas) are highly toxic to dogs. A substance they contain causes severe kidney damage leading to kidney failure and even death.
Most nuts are also harmful to dogs as they cause intestinal upset, pancreatitis and, at worst, seizures. The exception to this rule is peanuts, which are technically a legume and are safe to be fed to cats and dogs in small quantities.
Chocolate
Chocolate is very harmful to both cats and dogs. It contains a toxic substance called theobromine which causes harmful levels of toxins to build up inside the body. Even the smallest amount of chocolate can cause serious damage.
At Christmas time keep chocolate coins, advent calendars, tree treats and all other chocolate confectionary well away from your pets and never be tempted to offer it as a treat.
Mince Pies, fruit cake and Christmas Pudding
Due to their ingredients containing not only grape products (raisins, sultanas and currants) but alcohol and high levels of sugar, mince pies, fruit cake and Christmas pudding are strictly off limits for all pets.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of food hazards to watch out for. If you are unsure whether or not your pet can eat a particular food please seek veterinary advice.
In the instance of an accidental ingestion of any of the foods mentioned above please seek immediate veterinary advice.