The main area to be aware of during the Christmas period is diet changes for pets. Do not be tempted to feed pets from the table or the 'wrong' leftovers. There's up to a 40% increase in emergency calls to vets at Christmas - usually due to poisoning.
Ensure that party nibbles are not left at nose height or somewhere a dog can access them (they'll even get into garbage bins!).
Foods that can be harmful to your dog include:
- Chocolate
- Alcohol
- Christmas cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding
- Sage and onion stuffings
- Blue cheese and very fatty food
- Christmas ham and high-salt foods
- Artificial sweeteners
- Cooked bones
- Pine needles from Christmas trees!
- Avocados
- Macadamia nuts
Which parts of a Christmas dinner can I give to my dog?
- Turkey (no bones)
- Salmon (fillets or cooked in spring water)
- Lamb (no cooked bones)
- Green beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Parsnips or swedes
- Carrots
- Peas
- Mashed potato
- Boiled new potatoes
- Cooked sweet potatoes
