10 Christmas Fave Foods That Are Harmful For Your Furry

There is nothing more satisfying than sharing a tasty morsel with your beloved furry at Christmas. It’s hard to resist when those big brown eyes are staring devotedly up at you. Even just sharing a tiny crumb of something delicious can escalate you to top fur-parent status in an instant, which feels great!

However, we do need to be careful about how much and what exactly we are slipping into cherished furries bowls this Christmas. Many of our favourite festive foods are fatty, salty and can even contain ingredients that are toxic to our furries. So we could cause more harm than good and even end up at the vets.  

So, here are our top 10 Christmas foods to avoid sharing with your pooch or kitty:

1. Cooked bones – After cooking, bones become brittle and when chomped on by your keen furry, they can splinter into weapon-grade shards, which can damage your dog’s delicate digestive tract, as they try and pass through.  Some larger bones can even cause an obstruction or a nasty bout of constipation.  Smaller chicken or turkey bones are also a choking hazard and can easily become lodged in your pup or kitties throat if they aren’t chewed properly.
2. Gravy: This is a definite no-no!  Not only is it often high in salt but many powders or granules commonly contain powdered onion, chives and garlic – all of which are toxic to our furries.  Plus, if you are lucky enough to enjoy homemade gravy, it can also be very fatty and could irritate your pet’s digestive system and cause a painful pancreatitis.
3. Stuffing: This should be avoided (especially sage and onion stuffing) as it can contain dried or fresh onions, leeks, garlic and shallots, all of which are members of the allium family and are toxic to our pets – so stay well clear!  If ingested they can cause damage to your pets red blood cells resulting in life-threatening anaemia.
4. Turkey, duck or chicken skin: This is very fatty! Feeding it to your pup or kitty and could cause a nasty tummy ache and even pancreatitis.
5. Pigs in blankets: (sausages wrapped in bacon) – This festive favourite is high in fat and salt and again can cause digestive upset and pancreatitis.
6. Grapes: Everyone loves a good cheese board at Christmas, which is usually accompanied by a bunch of grapes. However, these juicy delights are actually toxic to our pets and can cause kidney damage or failure even if fed in small amounts.
7. Festive foods containing raisins, currants or sultanas – As these are dried versions of grapes they too are toxic to our beloved furries. So, festive favourites, such as Christmas cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding are absolutely off the sharing menu for our furries.
8. Blue cheeses: Although many pets (mine included) adore a nibble on some cheddar cheese, never ever feed them blue and mouldy varieties of cheese.  These are toxic and can cause seizures and muscle tremors and should be avoided completely! So keep that stinky Christmas stilton and Roquefort exclusively to yourself and a cracker.
9. Macadamia nuts – This remains a mystery to us all as to why they are so toxic to pets. Ingestion has been linked with vomiting, tremors and general wobbliness. So make sure you keep these mysterious nuts safely locked away from your pooches inquisitive nut stealing nose.
10. Chocolate – The stimulant chemical theobromine contained in chocolate is toxic to dogs. Avoid leaving any presents containing chocolate under the tree and think twice about chocolate tree decorations if you have a pet. We know that more expensive and darker chocolates tend to contain the highest levels of this chemical, so extra care is needed with dark chocolate. Drinking chocolate is also highly toxic, so be be careful when making a cosy cup.

Final thoughts…

To avoid any disastrous bin raiding missions by your furry. Always wrap up any left-overs (like turkey, goose or chicken carcasses or bones) carefully and dispose of them in a secure bin outdoors immediately.

Remember, to avoid any special surprises (not on your Christmas list) on your carpet boxing morning, feed even ‘safe’ foods in moderation. Many Christmas foods are rich and high in fat and salt, which is the perfect storm for a Christmas digestive upset.