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O
ften it's tempting to
share these tasty treats
with your pets, but do
you know which one of the
options are highly toxic to your
dog or cat?
All of them!
Top of the list
is chocolate which can be
extremely poisonous to both
cats and dogs. The darker
the chocolate (i.e. more
cocoa content) the worse it
is. The problem is caused by
theobromine, which is found
in chocolate, as well as in a
number of other foods,
including the leaves of the
tea plant and the kola nut.
Dogs and cats metabolise
theobromine more slowly
compared to humans and can
get poisoned from as little as
50 grams of milk chocolate.
Even very small amounts of
chocolate can cause diarrhoea,
vomiting, depression, seizures
and heart attacks. Remember
to let your guests know to save
the chocolate for themselves,
keeping your animals safe.
It's also important to plan
ahead; I'll bet that underneath
almost every Christmas tree
there are a few kilograms of
chocolate. Dogs with their keen
sense of smell can detect the
delicious aroma of chocolate
through the wrapping paper,
and it takes an incredibly well
behaved pooch to just ignore
all of that temptation!
Wherever possible, try to keep
chocolate gifts out of reach
before Christmas day and keep
an eye on your pooch when the
mayhem commences.
Chocolate isn't the only thing
to watch out for - you should
avoid giving your pets fruit
cake, grapes and raisins. These
can cause vomiting and
diarrhoea, but more seriously,
they can lead to kidney failure
as soon as 48 hours after
ingestion. Equally, if you use
xylitol as an artificial sweetener
in baking, it can cause a rapid
and severe drop in blood sugar,
often within 2 hours.
This causes vomiting, sleepiness,
fitting, collapse and coma. Also,
peanuts and monkey nuts can
cause vomiting and diarrhoea,
and more seriously fitting,
twitching and muscle spasm.
Other dangers around the
home are hidden in the beauty
of the decorative plants and
flowers. Lilies, Holly, Poinsettia
and Mistletoe are all poisonous
if eaten, and should be avoided
if possible.
If you know of, or suspect
ingestion of, any toxin or toy
you must call your vet as soon
as possible. The faster
treatment can start, the more
likely your pet is to survive.
By following these
simple tips, you can
be sure of a very
enjoyable festive
season with your
four legged friends!
By
Severn Edge Veterinary Group
Pet Welfare
Awareness