Whether it’s food, drink or spending, most people overindulge at Christmas time – and so can pets.
Animal Aid CEO Mark Menze said we might suffer no more than a stomach ache, sore head or frightening credit card balance, but the same couldn’t be said for our pets.
Chocolate
That tasty advent calendar or those bars of Toblerone wrapped nicely under the tree can be highly toxic to pets even in small quantities.
Nutmeg
It’s one of the lesser-known poisonous foods for dogs. Nutmeg can cause dogs to suffer from tremors, seizures, issues with the nervous system and even death.
Grapes and raisins
Plum puddings, Christmas cake and mince pies all contain raisins and grapes. Consumption of these can cause acute kidney failure in dogs.
Macadamia nuts
These popular Christmas nuts can also be toxic to dogs.
Onions, chives and garlic
Both onions and garlic can cause gastric irritation and anemia if eaten in large quantities.
Turkey skin, pork crackling, sausages and fatty meats
These Christmas lunch staples are foods which can all lead to inflammation of the pancreas in dogs due to high fat content.
Christmas ham
In addition to being high in fat, ham is also very salty and can cause serious stomach ache or pancreatitis.
Also, some dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat.
Alcohol
Some of us celebrate the festive season with beer, wine or bubbles.
But never share these with pets – even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful.
Mr Menze advised pet owners who suspected their fur baby had eaten something bad for them to call their local veterinarian immediately.
Animal Aid’s vet clinic is open Monday to Saturday (except public holidays) and bookings can be made on 8756 1310.
