During the festive period\u00a0many\u00a0households\u00a0stock\u00a0up on extra treats, says veterinary surgeon Nicholas Burrell, but many of these can\u00a0be\u00a0toxic and potentially fatal for our\u00a0pets – particularly chocolate. <\/p>
At Christmas,\u00a0many\u00a0households\u00a0stock\u00a0up on extra treats and drinks\u00a0to help them celebrate the festive season, says veterinary surgeon Nicholas Burrell, but it\u2019s important pet owners\u00a0are\u00a0aware that many of these can\u00a0be\u00a0toxic and potentially fatal for our\u00a0pets.<\/p>
Vets see more cases of dangerous poisoning in the run-up to Christmas than at any other time of year,\u00a0and one of the most common\u00a0cases is pets that have eaten chocolate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
Chocolate\u00a0should not be fed to dogs because it contains a substance called theobromine\u00a0that dogs cannot break down. The darker the chocolate, the higher the\u00a0theobromine\u00a0content, and even small amounts can cause\u00a0illness.<\/p>
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning\u00a0may\u00a0include vomiting, diarrhoea and increased heart rate, and it can lead to seizures\u00a0(fits)\u00a0and\u00a0heart\u00a0failure.\u00a0Darker chocolate\u00a0carries a greater risk of poisoning and, the smaller the dog, the\u00a0less they need to eat to be poisoned.<\/p>
This means it\u2019s important that all forms of chocolate are kept\u00a0well\u00a0out of the reach of your dog, including advent calendars, selection boxes, tree decorations and wrapped gifts that you might be thinking of putting under the tree.<\/p>
If you do\u00a0suspect your pet has\u00a0wolfed down some\u00a0chocolate \u2013 or\u00a0indeed\u00a0anything\u00a0dangerous\u00a0–\u00a0call your veterinary practice straight away and tell them\u00a0what your dog has had, how much they\u2019ve eaten and how long ago they ate it. They may recommend that you bring your dog in straight away, where treatment usually involves making the pet sick\u00a0and administering activated\u00a0charcoal to soak up the toxins.\u00a0In more serious cases, the pet\u00a0may\u00a0need to be put on a fluid drip to support their organs.<\/p>
Unfortunately, chocolate isn\u2019t the only\u00a0festive\u00a0food\u00a0that\u00a0carries\u00a0a health warning for pets\u00a0and they should also be kept away from\u00a0mince pies, Christmas cake\u00a0and Christmas\u00a0pudding\u00a0because they contain raisins, currants and sultanas, which\u00a0can cause kidney failure.<\/p>
\u2022\u00a0Alcohol<\/strong>\u00a0– Alcoholic drinks and food containing alcohol have similar side effects to humans and can cause serious liver damage.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Cooked bones<\/strong>\u00a0– Turkey, chicken, lamb, beef and pork bones that\u00a0have been\u00a0cooked splinter easily and can perforate your dog\u2019s stomach. They are dangerous and should never be fed to a dogs.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Holly<\/strong>\u00a0berries<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive salivation\u00a0(drooling)\u00a0and weakness in dogs.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Mistletoe<\/strong>\u00a0– Causes stomach problems and may cause skin irritations.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Poinsettia<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 These popular Christmas plants are toxic to cats and can cause vomiting, excessive salivation\u00a0(drooling), loss of appetite, lethargy and depression. Discover more poisonous plants to cats<\/a><\/p> \u2022\u00a0Sugar<\/strong>–<\/strong>free sweets and mints<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Xylitol is\u00a0an artificial sweetener\u00a0used\u00a0in\u00a0sugar-free\u00a0mints and sweets but can cause\u00a0vomiting, drowsiness, collapse and fits in dogs.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Aspirin<\/strong>, paracetamol<\/strong>\u00a0and Ibuprofen<\/strong>\u00a0– Boxing Day hangover cures could be fatal if swallowed by your pet.\u00a0<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Antifreeze\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Make sure your cat doesn\u2019t mop up any spills of\u00a0antifreeze if there\u2019s snow and ice. They like the sweet taste, but it is highly toxic and most often fatal\u00a0without immediate treatment.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Batteries<\/strong>\u00a0– Batteries left on the floor or in toys that an unsupervised dog may chew can cause serious\u00a0harm.<\/p> \u2022\u00a0Tinsel\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Cats may enjoy chasing tinsel or decorations that contain wires,\u00a0but\u00a0swallowing them\u00a0can lead to obstructions in the bowel.<\/p> More pet advice<\/strong><\/p> Nicholas Burrell\u00a0BVetMed MRCVS is clinical director of Abbey Veterinary Group in Derbyshire<\/a>. His main interests are\u00a0dentistry and\u00a0ultrasound\u00a0and he carries out the majority of scans at the practice.\u00a0Nick owns four rescue cats and a pony.<\/p> Abbey Veterinary Group is a member of the VetPartners Family. VetPartners is a nationwide veterinary group, which includes first opinion practices for large animals, equine and small animals as well as a growing network of referral practices that offer specialist care for small animal and equine patients.<\/p>