Beware these highly poisonous foods for your pet this Christmas!

13th December 2016

Beware these Christmas poisons for your dog

Pepper the pug says ‘Don’t let me eat these this Christmas!’

 

Did you know that many of the products you bring into your home, especially for Christmas, are highly poisonous for cats and dogs?  Many people don’t, so we’re warning all pet owners to be vigilant this Christmas, to avoid an unnecessary trip to the vets, or worse.

Christmas is a time when many of our homes are stocked with our favourite festive foods and we’re busy getting ready for the holidays. It’s all too easy for people to forget that many items in our homes at this time of year, can be highly poisonous, resulting in an emergency trip to the vets to get the dog’s stomach pumped or, in some cases, much worse.

Dogs should avoid:

  • Chocolate
  • Currants/Sultanas/Grapes
  • Xmas pudding
  • Xmas cake
  • Mince pies
  • Holly
  • Mistletoe
  • Poinsettia
  • Alcohol
  • Nuts
  • Cream
  • Cooked Bones
  • Blue Cheese
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Yeast
  • Coffee
  • Salt
  • Chewing Gum
  • Cat food

Two other extremely poisonous products for dogs are batteries and anti-freeze. If either of these are ingested it is vital to get them to the vets as soon as possible.

Our feline friends aren’t totally risk free when it comes to Christmas either; as the following list will confirm:

Cats should avoid:

  • Pot plants – daffodils, iris, hyacinth, amaryllis,lilies
  • Mistletoe
  • Cooked turkey bones
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Chocolate
  • Nuts
  • Blue cheese
  • Christmas cake
  • Christmas pudding
  • Mince Pies
  • Alcohol

Other high risk festive products for cats include:

  • Christmas trees – some cats might be tempted to climb it so be careful about where its sited and make sure it has a stable base
  • Decorations – particularly glass baubles which could be dangerous to paws if they fall and break. Artificial snow is best avoided
  • Tinsel – if cats are tempted to play with it and chew it, there could be intestinal problems as a result
  • Candles – best kept out of reach of inquisitive cats
  • Crackers and party poppers – the bangs can frighten cats

For a complete list of foods and items that are poisonous to a dog visit: http://www.vets-now.com/pet-owners/dog-care-advice/poisonous-to-dogs/


Going away over the festive period and haven’t booked your pet care yet? Why not give your local Petpals a ring to check their availability?

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or click here to contact Petpals head office for more help.