Christmas is here after a whirlwind of a year, and what better time to spend some quality time with your dog! There’s nothing better than being home more than usual, spending your days with your pooch, and spoiling them as you spoil others over the festive season; but did you know the silly season can actually be highly dangerous for dogs? Yes, pets, and dogs especially, are too often fed leftovers from the festive season when it can actually be harmful, and even poisonous for them.
We have put together a list of foods you should most definitely avoid giving to your dog this Christmas, and also a list of pet-friendly treats you may be enjoying this year, including our yummy natural pet treats!
Onions & Garlic
These veggies may seem harmless to us humans, but they are extremely poisonous to our precious pets. This includes all parts of onion plants – flesh, leaves, juice and even processed powders – and shallots, leeks and chives too. If you suspect your pooch has sneaked a piece of onion, make sure you watch out for lethargy, weakness, decreased appetite, pale gums and vomiting, or get in touch with your local vet (that’s open on Christmas!)
Chocolate
Chocolate is always toxic to dogs, but it can depend on the type of chocolate, the amount of chocolate consumed and the weight of your dog as to the severity of the toxicity. Signs of chocolate poisoning usually appear within 6 to 12 hours, including vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness and increase urination. However, if you know your dog has eaten chocolate and you aren’t sure how much or what kind, we recommend taking your dog to your local vet before any symptoms start to appear.
Sultanas, Grapes, Raisins & Currants
While sultanas may not be everyone’s favourite fruit, they sure are consumed more than often over the Christmas season! That’s because mince pies, Christmas pudding and fruit cake contain all kinds of sultana, grapes raisins and currants. Dogs can develop kidney failure 72 hours after ingestion of sultanas, and symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea, not eating and weakness. It also helps to be vigilant over Christmas time, as sultanas can be quite small and easily missed when dropped on the floor.
Stuffing
Surely I can treat my dog to some delicious stuffing right? Unfortunately not. Most of the time stuffing contains onions and garlic, ad we have already learned onions and garlic can be life-threatening for our special pooches. Even stuffing with onion and garlic powder can be harmful, so best to avoid it in general.
Gravy
We all know gravy is absolutely delicious, but we also know why it tastes so good – it’s all that fat and salt! It’s all this sodium and fat that can be dangerous for our dogs, it’s also hard to be sure if store bought gravy contains onion and garlic powder too. While you can always treat your pooch to a small amount of homemade gravy, we recommend avoiding it altogether just to be sure.
So what can my dog eat?
Turkey
You can treat your pooch to small amounts of boneless, skinless white meat, but always be sure it definitely is boneless and skinless. Bones are extremely dangerous for dogs, and the skin is too fatty for dogs as it can cause inflammation of the pancreas.
Potatoes
Dogs love to enjoy potatoes, but always make sure they are just plain boiled potatoes with no butter or salt, and always ensure your dog enjoys it in moderation, as they can be quite starchy.
Vegetables
We know vegetables aren’t nearly as exciting as stuffing, but when it comes to your dog’s health, vegetables are your friend! Most green vegetables or mixed vegetables are fine, just make sure sneaky onions or garlic don’t get into the mix.
Eggs
We use eggs quite frequently in our natural dog treats because they are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals that are great for your dog’s health!
Natural dog treats
If you’re looking to treat your dog over the Christmas season, we always recommend sticking to food that is approved for your pooch. Our natural dog biscuits mostly contain human ingredients, but they contain the perfect amount of fat, salt, vitamins and minerals to ensure your dog’s health is always prioritised. Our doggy donuts are to die for, packed with peanut butter, eggs and wheat germ oil, these are our favourite go-to silly season treats. If your dog is more a one ingredient treat lover, you can always opt for kangaroo tendons or deer antlers which are long-lasting and 100% natural and safe for your dog.
Christmas is a time to be enjoyed by all, and the safest way to do this is to treat your dog with 100% safe, natural, and nasty-free dog treats. This is a guaranteed way to ensure while you’re enjoying your silly season treats that you know is safe for you, your dog is doing the same. Merry Christmas to all of our wonderful customers, and enjoy a safe and happy new year.
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