Avoiding the Vet on Christmas

​No one wants to have to take their dog to the vet on Christmas (and most vets are happy to spend the holiday with their families too) so how can we avoid an emergency visit over the holidays?

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Watch what your dog eats.

Most people know that chocolate is toxic to dogs (if they eat enough of it) but did you know about some of these other problematic foods?

• Xylitol - an artificial sweetener found in some products such as gum, candy, peanut butter and toothpaste.  Consumption of xylitol can be fatal to dogs as it can cause sudden low blood sugar levels or liver toxicity.
• Grapes and Raisins - some dogs can suffer kidney failure from eating grapes or raisins, while other dogs appear to be able to eat them with no issues.  It's best not to experiment with grapes and raisins though, as the consequences could be severe.
• Garlic and Onions - eating garlic and onions can cause Heinz body anemia, resulting in a low number of red blood cells.  
• Macadamia nuts - ingestion of  these nuts can cause dogs to experience weakness, depression, vomiting, tremours and hyperthermia.
• Caffeine - unused coffee grounds, coffee beans, tea bags and caffeine supplements can contain enough caffeine to harm your dog.
• Chocolate - it's not the chocolate so much as the theobromine and caffeine that the chocolate contains that is the problem.  The darker the chocolate, the greater the amount of theobromine it contains and the small the amount that the dog would need to eat to have symptoms.  With white chocolate being the least risky, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and then baker's chocolate being the most risky.  

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