Vets are warning pet owners to avoid giving their dogs popular human treats this festive season over concerns that they're toxic to canines.
The British Veterinary Association (BCA) is warning pet owners to keep chocolate, mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas decorations out of the reach of pets to avoid emergency vet visits.
The BCA has highlighted the dangers of certain festive foods and decoration items, such as raisins and dried fruit, chocolate, xylitol in sugar free items, onion, garlic, mistletoe and holly.
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It's not just dogs at risk - cats shouldn't consume any of those either.
Chocolate is the most common dog hazard that leads to vet visits over Christmas.
Cats are more likely to need vet treatment for ingesting non-edible items like seasonal plants and antifreeze, the BCA says.
A survey conducted by the association last year showed that more than eight in ten companion animal vets across Britain had seen at least one case of toxic ingestion over Christmas.
Some 94% of vets said they'd seen at least one case of chocolate poisoning in dogs that year, followed by cases involving raisins or sultanas and xylitol.
Seasonal plants like lilies, mistletoe, poinsettias and holly were the top culprits for cats, followed closely by cases of antifreeze poisoning.
Vets also saw foreign body ingestion, like Christmas decorations and small parts of toys.
BVA president Justine Shotton said: “I’ve worked a lot in emergency practice and have seen many avoidable cases involving toxic festive hazards over the years, especially those involving dogs having chocolates and puddings or pies containing raisins.
"I once had an owner bring in a labrador to be sick after it had eaten some mince pies, go home after treatment, only to be back at the practice immediately because their other dog had eaten the rest of the box in the meantime!
“It really doesn’t take very long for our inquisitive pets to sniff out chocolates left out under the tree or in advent calendars, gobble down a mince pie when your head is turned, or polish off puddings left unattended on the kitchen counter.
“This can have serious consequences for our pets’ health and can result in costly emergency care, including surgery if they’ve ingested objects like Christmas tree baubles or tinsel.
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"My advice to owners is to keep all edible goodies and decoration items safely out of reach of inquisitive noses and to keep pets to their normal diets, avoiding feeding them any human food treats. If you are concerned that they have eaten something they shouldn’t, consult your vet straight away as this will dramatically improve prognosis."
For more information on pets and poisons, download the free Animal Welfare Foundation ‘Pets and Poisons’ leaflet.
