Vet Talk: Keep your pets safe by keeping festive treats out of reach
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Roly was a lovely, friendly Labrador who loved his food.
He was rushed into the vet surgery on Christmas morning as he had eaten all the chocolate foil-wrapped decorations off the Christmas tree. He was kept in the practice hospital to induce vomiting, to ensure that he was safe from chocolate poisoning.
It was not a good start to Christmas Day for his family, and it certainly was not a nice day for poor Roly.
Keep your pets safe this Christmas by keeping festive treats out of reach.
Chocolate is abundant at Christmas and all dog owners should be aware that chocolate can be extremely poisonous to dogs. The severity of chocolate poisoning depends on the type of chocolate ingested and the dog’s weight.
Dark chocolate is the most serious, this is because all chocolate contains a poisonous chemical called theobromine, and the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine. Initial signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, hyperactivity, heart arrythmias and tremors.
Although white chocolate contains less theobromine, it contains more fat content than other chocolate, so it can still can potentially make your dog ill.
Other sweets can also pose problems to our pets if consumed. This is because many sweets contain artificial sweeteners, including xylitol, which can cause poisoning if ingested and a rapid drop in blood glucose, resulting in the animal collapsing.
Most sweets can also cause a laxative effect, particularly in dogs, and this is likely to result in diarrhoea, which is not ideal at Christmas.
The consumption of grapes, raisins and currants presents a health threat to dogs and cats. Exactly why these fruits are poisonous is unknown, but their toxicity can induce kidney failure, symptoms of which can sometime be delayed for 24 to 72 hours after ingestion. Raisins can be found in many festive foods, so be sure to not leave Christmas cake, mince pies or other treats in accessible places.
Many cheeses are also best kept away from our pets, blue cheeses in particular. Blue cheese contains a substance called roquefortine C, which is a substance produced by the fungus used to produce these cheeses. Dogs are extremely sensitive to this.
Pastry-based Christmas pies, biscuits, and cakes, as well as being full of raisins are also high in fat content, which can give dogs severe, painful stomach troubles.
Nuts can be poisonous. After consuming nuts, dogs may suffer from a variety of symptoms including weakness, high temperature and vomiting.
Alcohol is often part of the festive season and if left accessible can lead to poisoning in our pets. Whisky and cream-based liquors can be particularly appealing.
Garlic, onions, leeks and chives are found in many festive dishes. However, these contain a substance that can damage red blood cells in dogs and can cause life-threatening anaemia. Poisoning signs may not appear for a few days but can include stomach problems, drowsiness, weakness, and rapid breathing.
Although it is tempting to share with your pets, it is strongly advised to avoid giving your pet scraps like turkey skin or pork crackling, as any rapid changes in your pet’s diet, particularly high-fat foods, can result in acute gastrointestinal upsets.
Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness.
