Christmas Dangers

Festive Season’s dangers for our four legged friends

With Christmas approaching we see an increased number of poisonings in our veterinary surgery. Pet owners often do not realise that sweets that we enjoy can be harmful and even cause death in our animals. Top of the list is chocolate, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, but also heart problems and even seizures not only in dogs and cats, but also in “small furries” like rabbits and guinea pigs. And the darker the chocolate, the less they will have to eat to become poorly.

Grapes, raisins and some nuts can cause tummy upsets, but also kidney failure in dogs, while onions, garlic and leek can lead to anaemia ( lack of red blood cells) in dogs and cats, which can be very dangerous.

So its best not to share your Christmas dinner with your pets.

Another great danger are tinsels and ribbons used for wrapping up gifts. If eaten they can cause the guts to wrap themselves around them, which will require major surgery.

Batteries, apart from being able to obstruct the throat or guts, contain a lot of harmful chemicals, which can cause internal damage, especially when chewed.

Finally, there are many plants that can be dangerous for your pet. Holly and ivy being the seasonal ones, but also lilies and probably some orchids.

Some of the above items can cause symptoms within hours of ingestion, while other might take days.

If you are worried at all that your animal might have eaten anything harmful, give your vet a ring for some advice. Best to be safe!