What not to feed your dog at Christmas

When the festive season approaches there are many foods that should be kept well out of the way of your furry friends.

There is normally a lot of chocolate around at this time of year and it is extremely important to keep this out of reach of your dog as chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine.

This chemical can cause agitation, hyperexcitability, tremors, convulsions and problems with the heart. If your dog finds chocolate irresistible, you could give them a canine safe version such as Trixie’s Chocolate Drops or Good Boy’s Chocolate dog treats, perfect for dogs with sweet tooth.

Grapes are another big no-no for our furry friends and similar dried products such as sultanas, currants and raisins. Eating the smallest amount of this fruit can cause severe kidney failure. Bear in mind all the foods at Christmas time that will contain this fruit such as mince pies and Christmas pudding.

Onions as well as shallots, leeks, garlic and chives all belong to the Allium plant species; these are all toxic to dogs. If your dog does manage to get hold of such food this can result in vomiting and diarrhoea and will damage their red blood cells resulting in anaemia.

Alcohol has a similar effect in dogs to what it does in us. They can become unstable and drowsy so it’s best to not leave any alcohol lying around.

Most dogs love peanut butter, however, not all nuts are safe for dogs to consume. Macadamia nuts can be harmful to dogs causing increased body temperature, tremors, lameness and stiffness in dogs. Distract your dog away from the table with our range of dog toys and irresistible KONG peanut butter treat.

We all like to treat our dogs, especially at this time of year! To make up for all the foods your dogs can’t have at Christmas you can make them a delicious Christmas dinner to enjoy when all the family sit down for their Christmas dinner. Foods you can include in your dog’s dinner are;

• Turkey meat (no skin or bones)
• Salmon (fillets or cooked in spring water are preferable to smoked salmon)
• Lamb meat (no bones)
• Scrambled egg
• Green beans
• Brussel sprouts
• Parsnips
• Carrot
• Peas
• Swede
• Mash potato (best without additional butter)

We hope this information will help to keep our furry friends safe at this wonderful time of year!