It’s that festive, food-filled time of year. There are treats on every table, treats under the tree, and long lunches that send you to sleep – it’s fun, but can sometimes leave you with a belly ache. Unfortunately, dogs, cats, and rich foods can be a recipe for much more than a tummy ache, depending on the food type.
We do understand it can be extremely tempting to sneak a treat under the table to your furry family members, but some food can be really toxic to your dog or cat. To help you stay vigilant, here’s a list of naughty and nice festive foods for your pet.
The Naughty List: Keep Your Pet Away From These Foods
‘Naughty’ or toxic food for your cat or dog doesn’t always mean a trip to the vet, but it can leave your pet feeling less than comfortable during a joyous season. Make sure you contact your local vet if you see your pet acting out of character, or if you know your pet has eaten a toxic quantity of a particular food, or a toxic food type.
Not all the food on this list is strictly a Christmas treat, but they’re certainly found on most platters during the festive season.
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Chocolate |
The cacao seeds that give chocolate its delicious taste also contain a compound called theobromine, which is toxic to cats and dogs and, if consumed, cause serious illness or death. Symptoms of toxicity can take 6-12 hours.
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Raisins and Grapes |
Yes, this does include your Christmas pudding! The raisins and grapes found in pudding can be fatally toxic to dogs, even in small quantities. |
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Onions |
Ingestion of onions can contribute to stomach upsets and even cause Anaemia. |
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Under-cooked meat |
Just like humans, your pets can suffer the effects of eating under-cooked meat, which can contain e-coli and other bacterial dangers. Under-cooked chicken can be especially toxic to your pet. |
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Pork, bacon and ham |
Some pork products contain a high amount of fat, which can lead to illnesses like pancreatitis. Statistics show there is an increase of pancreatitis cases in dogs at Christmas time. |
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Cooked Bones |
These are dangerous as they tend to splinter when chewed by dogs, causing damage to their teeth, mouth, throat and intestines (not to mention their high calorie content of the bone marrow). |
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Alcohol |
While it may seem obvious, allowing our pets to consume any alcohol is dangerous. It can cause alcohol toxicity and even seizures. So please, leave the alcohol to the humans. |
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Milk and Dairy Products |
It may surprise many to learn that dogs’ bodies were not designed to process dairy. Consuming dairy can cause stomach upsets, vomiting and diarrhea. |
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Lollies |
Full of sugar, and even worse for our pets than they can be for us, lollies can disrupt your pets metabolism, and when consumed in high amounts, can even cause diabetes. |
The Nice List: Treat Your Pet to These Goodies During The Holiday Season
Unfortunately, the ‘nice’ list isn’t as long as the ‘naughty’ list. Christmas food feasts are a human tradition after all, but in moderation, and with careful preparation, you can let your dog or cat eat these leftovers.
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Leftover beef or chicken |
As long as the meat has been de-boned, this leftover can be a delicious treat for your dog or cat. Be sure to feed this meat in moderation, and without any of the food on the naughty list. |
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Fruit and veggies |
Small amounts of apples, oranges, bananas and watermelon are all healthy treats for dogs (especially when kept in the fridge and given on a hot day!). Before you feed any fruit or veggies to your pooch, just be sure the seeds are removed first, and avoid stone fruits. Carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini are also great snack options. |