A dog is for life, not just for Christmas
This Christmas, as with every year, dog owners throughout the UK will go present crazy for their dogs, but they need to be wary that the festivities don’t prove too much for their four legged friends. As presents are opened and food is consumed, homes become filled with unintentional dangers for dogs.
For example, if you have chocolate decorations on your Christmas tree or selection boxes littered around the house, your dog will be very interested in them and will want to try them out; which of course is very dangerous for their health.
The same can be said for interesting looking decorations, or bones that are left in the Christmas turkey. Hannah James-Roll, a veterinary surgeon, warns of the dangers to dogs this festive season:
We will see dogs with diarrhoea or blockages because they’ve eaten Christmas decorations, or a turkey bone that’s got stuck.
We’ve had to remove tinsel, champagne corks and some times it’s ‘guess the toy’ on the x-ray.
Unwrapping presents, crackers, party popper, every dog hates it, just put the dog in the other room so they can go and hide somewhere safe and isn’t going to run off and disappear.
Another piece of advice is the obvious one about not giving a pet as a Christmas present. It sounds obvious, but still dogs are given as gifts every year, and are abandoned in the New Year when the novelty has warn off.
It’s not a good time to introduce a puppy or an older dog to the house. Too many hazards, too many people.
Remember, a dog is for life, not for Christmas!
