Christmas Food Toxicity

Golden Retriever Dog chewing ball at Christmas time

The Festive Season is just around the corner and many of our celebrations revolve around food. Most vets would say that they treat an increasing number of dogs that have eaten food which is toxic at this time of year.

Golden Retriever Dog chewing ball at Christmas time

Chocolate

Top of the toxic list has to be chocolate! Toxicity varies with the cocoa content, but high-quality dark chocolate is more likely to be lying around at Christmas. Try and find the packaging if you can and assess how much might have been eaten to help your vet make the right treatment decision.

Useful resource: VetsNow chocolate calculator

Grapes and Dried Fruit

Grapes and dried fruit are also common problems, especially with mince pies, Christmas Cake, Stollen, and bowls of nibbles being out on tables for guests. Some nuts can be safely eaten by dogs, but the macadamia nut (a festive favourite) is more toxic.

Alcoholic

Dregs of alcoholic drinks are appealing to dogs and could cause symptoms from nausea to severe alcohol poisoning.

Overindulgence

As well as these very toxic foods, there is also a risk of more general overindulgence at this time of year. A small amount of lean turkey and boiled vegetables makes a nice Christmas dinner for your dog, but too much of the skin or roast potatoes could cause pancreatitis, and stuffing or gravy containing onions or garlic should be avoided as these can be toxic too. Be very careful if the turkey carcass is left out on the worktop … cooked poultry bones can cause intestinal damage.

Presents, Toys and Ornaments

Talking of intestinal damage, vets also see extra cases of ‘foreign bodies’ at Christmas time, with presents, toys, and ornaments lying around, and perhaps guests staying who aren’t careful with their socks and gloves! If you are concerned that your dog has swallowed something inedible call your vet for advice.

The advice with small, non-toxic objects might be to monitor the dog carefully until the object passes. It’s amazing what dogs can throw up or pass out, days or weeks after ingestion. However, if your dog starts to become unwell, at any point, contact your vet and be sure to let them know that your dog might have ingested something, so they can do radiographs sooner rather than later.

Medication

House guests bring other risks too such as daily medications. Your family knows to keep tablets away from the dog, but friends and relatives might not be used to counter surfers! Again, information is key, so try to work out what the dog ate, how much, and how long ago when calling the vet.

Plan Ahead

Most of these risks can be managed by planning ahead: keep decorations out of dogs’ reach, don’t put gifts that might contain food under the tree, and give guests clear instructions about where to store their things.

If you are planning a party, your dog might be happier in a safe pen, crate, or room where he won’t be disturbed and can enjoy chomping on a dog-safe chew toy with the added benefit that your guests won’t have to worry about putting their plate of nibbles down somewhere safe!

Antifreeze

It’s not just things indoors that can be a poisoning concern in the winter though. One of the most dangerous things your dog could ingest is engine antifreeze which causes acute kidney failure. This highest risk comes from puddles on driveways, garages, or farmyards.

If you suspect your dog has ingested antifreeze you must contact your vet immediately as treatment is only effective in the first few hours. Dogs may also become ill from licking rock salt from their paws after a pavement walk, so a rinse in clean water is recommended.

pawprint in snow

If you are concerned about something your dog might have eaten call your vet straight away for advice. When your vet is closed, there will be an on-call vet or an emergency practice you can speak to.

If you struggle to get hold of either your own vet, or an emergency practice, you can call the Animal Poison Line on 01202 509000 (cost £20-30).

Dog looking out a window to a beautiful landscape, a shop now button and the Breakthrough TrainUp Treats

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