Having a Canine Christmas

You’ve heard of the saying “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, well Christmas is for dogs too. We all want to enjoy Christmas with our Border Terriers, after all they are part of the family. We need to remember that there are some things that we enjoy that can be harmful to our dogs.

Here is a list of foods that are harmful if eaten by your Border Terriers. These vary in how toxic they are to your dog but some dogs are more sensitive than others. If you know that your dog has ingested any of these items then it is probably best to contact your vet, who may well need to know how long it is since the food was consumed (if known) and in what quantity.

Chocolate - the darker the chocolate, the more harmful it is to your dog due to the theobromine and caffeine content. As Border Terriers are a small breed, even small quantities of chocolate could cause a very serious reaction in your dog. At Christmas there is usually a lot more chocolate around the house. Try to remember to keep this well out of reach of the dog.

Most emergency visits to the vet are due to dogs eating chocolate. Unfortunately dogs do not realise that chocolate is poisonous for them.

Mince Pies - due to the dried fruit content (raisins, currants and sultanas). This can be extended to include Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and Stollen for exactly the same reason. Christmas goodies include Yule logs and chocolate covered raisins.

Turkey bones - just as cooked chicken bones are extremely dangerous to dogs, so are turkey bones. These bones become brittle when cooked and as soon as your dog crunches a bone the pieces become splinters and sharp fragments in the throat and intestine leading to a serious internal injury.

Onion (in your chestnut or sage stuffing) - the onion in your stuffing contains substances that can cause damage to the red blood cells. Even in small amounts this can be harmful to your dog and in any form, whether the onions are raw or cooked.

Alcohol - for obvious reasons alcohol should not be given to your dog. The effects on your Border Terriers are likely to be more severe than a human given the difference in size/weight of the dog compared to a human. It is believed that dogs are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than humans. Often dogs are not attracted to alcohol but not in all cases.