What Christmas foods are dangerous for dogs?

With the festive season upon us, it is an excellent time to review which foods and Christmas items can cause some not-so-nice issues for our four-legged friends.
Christmas dangers for dogs are ever present and something we need to be aware of to avoid costly vet visits at a time that already makes us feel the pinch.

Our fabulous team at La Luna Pet Care has done the hard work for you and compiled a handy list of items to be aware of and the effects they could have on your dog.

Mince pies, Christmas pudding and fruit cake.
Like vegemite, you either love em or hate em. Dogs, however, tend to be much less fussy than us and take an eat now, think later approach. ( We can be guilty of this sometimes too! )
The dried and fresh fruits found in these items are the issue here. Grapes, raisins and sultanas are all known to cause possible kidney failure in dogs.
So when you leave a mince pie out for Santa, put it up somewhere high to avoid your doggo getting to it before the man in red.

Macadamias
A festive Australian staple. These are known to cause lethargy, increased temperature, lameness, stiffness and tremors in dogs.

Vegetables in the onion family.
Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives are all onion family members and can cause problems whether cooked or raw. If your dog has ingested these, things to look out for are vomiting and diarrhea. However, as these vegetables can also cause damage to red blood cells, anemia may be present a while after ingestion.

Chocolate.
Most responsible pet owners know that Chocolate is not so good for our dogs. However, with many people becoming pet owners over Christmas, it is well worth mentioning on our list. Theobromine is the culprit in Chocolate; the darker the goodies, the more chemicals present. Some nasty side effects include diarrhea, vomiting, seizures and tremors. So make sure there are no choccies under the tree, or else your super sniffer will find them.

Alcohol.
Leaving a drink where a thirsty pup can finish it off is devasting for us and can have the same side effects and worse for your dog as it does a human.
For theirs and your own sake, keep alcoholic beverages out of reach.

With some of the most popular foods out of the way, it's a good time to bring to light other festive items that could pose a problem for your pet.

Poinsettia, Holly, Mistletoe and Christmas trees all have some level of toxicity for your dogs. Most of these will cause vomiting and an upset stomach if ingested and are worth noting if your dog suddenly becomes unwell.

Christmas decorations can look extra fun, especially for a dog that likes to chew. But for obvious reasons, they don't make the best chew toys and whilst most have low toxicity; they can get stuck in your dog's stomach and are a choking hazard.

Potpourri is making a comeback, and whilst we love nothing more than filling the house with a Christmas aroma, it can cause significant stomach problems.

Whilst we have done our very best to compile a list of what we consider the most prominent Christmas dangers for your dog, we highly recommend conducting your own research and consulting your vet for medical advice if you think your dog has been affected by anything in the list above.
Next week we will take a lighter approach to the festive season with some information and advice on what your dog CAN have at Christmas! We want them to experience all the fun Christmas has to bring too!

If you have any comments in relation to this article, we would love to hear from you below. And don't forget to check out our great range of Christmas hampers made especially for your dog!

Thanks so much for reading

Hannah B XOXO