One of the best things about Christmas is the food… and if you’re like me, your dog gets to eat any table scraps that are safe for them. Make sure though that you know which table scraps you shouldn’t share with your dog this Christmas…
Turkey
Plain turkey is a great, lean protein for dogs. If you’re planing to cook turkey this Christmas, your pooch will probably love his bowl being supplemented with some turkey. However, it’s wise to avoid giving your dog the turkey skin which is quite fatty. Lots of dogs suffer from obesity and pancreatitis. That turkey skin will not help them…
Cooked bones
Cooked bones are so bad for dogs. There’s a big risk they’ll splinter when chewed and the chards can cause untold damage to your dog. Make sure bones are disposed of carefully so that your pup can’t drag them back out of the bin.
What you can do with bones though is cook them slowly to make bone broth. Bone broth is a very healthy, delicious supplement to your dog’s diet – find the recipe here.
Gravy
Most purchased gravy has onion in it. Onion is a big no-no for dogs. Don’t give your dog gravy or food with onions in it.
Home-made gravy that’s onion free might be ok, but what else is in it? Do you add alcohol, or lots of meat fat? If so, best not share it with your sausage dog…
Fruit
I love a good cheese board with some fruit after a delicious Christmas meal. Whilst the cheese is fine for Fido, grapes most certainly are not.
Equally, avoid sharing those yummy pick and mix seed / dried fruit packs that always seem to end up in our shopping trollies at Christmas. They invariably contain raisins and currants – both dangerous for your dog’s health.
Chocolate
I’m always amazed by just how much variety there is in any supermarket when it comes to Christmas-themed chocolate. Whilst you may be able to indulge in it, your pooch can not. Don’t give dogs human chocolate. If you really feel the need to give them chocolate, find a dog-safe one from your pet store.
Watch out for counter surfers!
My 2 dober-dorfs are, thankfully, very well behaved around food. I didn’t even have to train them not to steal food from the kitchen counter tops. It wasn’t always like that though: we once had a labrador that, one Christmas, climbed up on to the dining table and stole an entire beef joint.
A scratched-up dining table is the least of your worries if your dog grabs a meat joint with cooked bones, or has pancreatitis problems. If you want to avoid spending Christmas at the vet surgery, make sure food is well out of reach!
Tips To Keep Your Dog Healthy This Christmas
- Plain turkey with no gravy is fine
- No cooked bones!
- No raisins, grapes or chocolate
- Keep food out of reach
For more information about which foods are safe for dogs, see here.