It's almost Christmas and the festive season is a fantastic excuse to indulge.
Whether your highlight is the delicious Christmas dinner, exchanging presents or just spending quality time with your loved ones, there's no denying it can be a hectic time of year. For many, the fact that our pets can be involved in the festive celebrations make the season all the more merrier.
But it's important not to get too carried away when it comes to giving your dog to human food. While there are some Christmas treats that are good for your furry friends, there are others that can make them quite poorly.
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And the last thing you want is to have a trip to the vets on Boxing Day, over something that could be prevented. Here is a look at what you should and shouldn't feed your pets this festive season.
One of the staple items of a Christmas dinner is the turkey. It's safe to feed your dog turkey, but only if it's boneless and skinless. The experts at Purina explained: "The skin is much too fatty for your dog, while the bones can cause internal damage, so ensure that you’ve taken the time to remove these from the meat before adding it to your dog’s Christmas dinner."
Like them or lump them, Brussels sprouts usually make an appearance at this time of year. If you can't stand the green things and want to feed yours to the dog then good news - you can! Purina says that 'green beans, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, peas and swede' can all be fed to your dog as a healthy snack.
But you should feed your pet vegetables in moderation, as if they eat too many they could get wind or diarrhoea.
Another popular Christmas food is prawns, with families enjoying a prawn cocktail starter ahead of their Christmas feast. According to the experts at PurePetFood, dogs can also get in on the action and enjoy prawns too. "The shell, claws and legs of prawns could potentially irritate and obstruct your dog’s digestive tract and they are tough to break down," warned PurePetFood.
The prawn should also be deveined, in the same way you would prepare it for yourself. The experts added: "Cooking your prawns will ensure they are safe for canine consumption, while still maintaining the food’s nutritional benefits." As with any other food, prawns should only be fed to your dog in moderation.
You also shouldn't feed raw prawns to your pet, as they could contain parasites and pathogens which could make them seriously ill.
Charity Dogs Trust has also issued advice on the foods you should avoid giving your dog altogether this Christmas. They recommend not letting your dog eat or drink Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, mince pies, chocolate, drinking chocolate, mulled wine or any alcohol.
They should also avoid onions, leeks, garlic, shallots and chives as these can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and damage to red blood cells.
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