While some fruit and veg are good for dogs, others aren’t – and it’s really important to know which is which if you want to avoid a trip to the vets this Christmas
Do you eat your 5 a day?
Fruit and veg are good for you.
Many fruits and vegetables are good for your dog
One of our client’s dogs loves raw carrot so much that her owner regularly uses pieces as treats in training. Other enjoy tomatoes, cucumber, apples (not the pips) and oranges. My first dog, Ben, adored mandarin orange.
Ben also loved grapes and happily snaffled a dropped one when he could, despite that fact that they are poisonous to dogs. As Catherine’s dog, Cali, knows well. Grapes were the cause of an emergency vet trip when Cali was a pup. (She was fine afterwards, though Catherine’s purse wasn’t.)
Grapes, and all the dried versions of them, are toxic to dogs.
And at Christmas there are grapes galore hiding everywhere.
Dried fruits are bad news for your dog!
Many festive treats contain dried grapes as currants, raisins or sultanas. These dried fruits are even more toxic than fresh grapes to dogs. But we don’t know why or what the poison actually is. Some dogs, like Ben, can eat a few grapes with no effects, but other dogs may become unwell after very small amounts.
Frightening festive fruit treats include Christmas pudding and Christmas cake, which often contain booze, which is also poisonous to dogs, mince pies, stollen and sweets such as chocolate covered raisins, my mum’s favourite treat.
Festive fruits could cause kidney failure
As well as causing vomiting and diarrhoea, the biggest danger is them causing kidney failure.
This latter problem is especially dangerous as you might think your dog is fine initially, but kidney failure may only come on 24-72 hours later. Signs of kidney failure include reduced peeing, lethargy and increased thirst.
Quick treatment is important – hence Cali’s emergency (and expensive) vet trip. So please, if your dog eats grapes or dried fruit of any kind, seek vet help immediately, even if your dog seems fine.
There’s another danger in Christmas cakes and puddings. My own home-made versions are a well-known fire risk, given how much booze I manage to get into them.
Dogs are more sensitive to ethanol than humans. Cream or egg-based alcoholic drinks are particularly enticing to dogs. If they ingest even a small amount of alcohol it can cause side effects similar to a person being drunk – becoming drowsy and wobbly on their feet. In more severe case it can cause low body temperature, low blood sugar, seizures and coma.
Please seek vet help immediately if your dog consumes any alcohol. But feel free to indulge yourself – in moderation, of course.
Keep training and stay safe,
Carol
PS We’ve got free help sheet on poisonous foods and plants in our Free help sheets. Our website is worth a good browse if you’re at a loose end over the holidays!
