A Festive Warning: The Dangers of Christmas Treats for Dogs

The Dangers of Christmas Treats for Dogs

Published: November, 2024

Stir up Sunday is upon us on the 24th of November when (some of us) make our Christmas cakes, but it’s a good reminder that Christmas cake is not good for all of us especially our canine friends. In December dogs are 75% more likely to be treated by a vet for eating human food that is harmful to them.

The main ingredient in Christmas cake is dried fruit and this can be toxic to dogs. When eaten by dogs, sultanas, raisins and grapes can cause acute kidney injury. So, as well as the cake you need to keep an eye on mince pies, Christmas pudding, panettones, fruit cakes and bread and butter puddings.

The difficulty is that there is

not a set toxic dose for an individual, for that reason we always recommend contacting your vet as soon as you are aware that ingestion could have taken place, no matter what amount has been eaten.

As well as possibly causing vomiting and diarrhoea, signs of kidney failure can take 24-72hours to develop and include a reduction in urination, dullness and lethargy and increased thirst. 

If caught soon enough, treatment usually involves injection of an emetic to make your dog sick, and then some charcoal adsorbents to administer at home to prevent any further absorption. Do not try to make your own dog sick at home as this can sometimes make your dog worse. If the ingestion is not discovered until past the time that this will be effective, then we recommend intravenous fluid therapy and blood tests to monitor kidney function. Some animals can become critically ill requiring intensive care, it can be life threatening or lead to lifelong kidney damage, so it is very important to contact your vet if you are concerned. 

I have treated many dogs over the years who have sneakily eaten dried fruit. My favourite has to be Megan, a boxer dog, who several years ago ate an entire Christmas cake. She looked exceedingly pleased with herself until the cake had returned the way it came after her injection of emetic. Thankfully her blood tests were normal, and we were able to treat her soon enough and she made a full recovery.  

Other foods to avoid feeding at Christmas include really fatty Christmas trimmings, bones, appetisers on cocktails sticks, sugar free sweeteners (xylitol), sage and onion stuffing, blue cheese, some nuts and remember human chocolate is a no – no for our canine friends 

So, although they can look very pleased with themselves initially for scoffing your Christmas cake it can lead to major problems for your pooch so be aware and contact your vet if you are worried!