With Christmas festivities just around the corner we wanted to remind you of some of the potential problems for our pets, in particular for those food loving animal’s who will beg, borrow and steal for some Christmas treats!

•  Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies: raisins, currants and sultanas can be toxic to dogs resulting in kidney failure. Even a few can cause illness. Grapes can also cause problems.

•  Chocolate: both milk and dark chocolate contain an ingredient called Theobromine which can be toxic to dogs and cats especially when eaten in large quantities.  Signs can vary from GI upset to more serious complications such as tremors, seizures and heart disturbances.

•  Sage and onion stuffing: Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives can cause gastrointestinal signs, abdominal discomfort and anaemia in both cats and dogs, which can have serious consequences.

•  Macadamia nuts: problems include weakness, lack of balance, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal signs, lameness and joint pain.

•  Foreign bodies: Small toys or bones can be ingested and pose the risk of intestinal obstruction. Also, silica gel packs found in many Christmas packaging can swell very rapidly in your dogs stomach posing a risk of intestinal obstruction.

•  Pot pourri: This can cause significant and prolonged gastrointestinal upset in dogs.

•  Christmas plants and flowers: Mistletoe, Pointsettias, Holly, Ivy and Pine needles can be mildly toxic and cause GI signs, salivation and depression.

•  Ethylene glycol (anti-freeze): This is extremely toxic to both dogs and cats. Anti-freeze ingestion results in severe renal damage and quickly progresses to renal failure. The prognosis is often guarded.

If you have any concerns about your pet over the Christmas season just give us a call on 01606 880890. We have a 24/7 emergency line which will put you in touch with one of our vets.