Friday 2 January 2015

Did Your Dog Have A Good Christmas?

Many vets have reported an increase in dogs being brought into their surgeries, suffering from aliments which can be directly traced to inappropriate feeding over Christmas.
Most vets attribute this rise in harmful consumption to human treats such as stuffing, chocolate, Christmas pudding, mince pies and grapes. This type of food can be dangerous for dogs and even prove fatal in a few cases. Well meaning owners, who want their dog to have a few extra treats at Christmas may end up causing their best friend great distress.
If you suspect that your dog has eaten something harmful, like chocolate, raisins, or onions, see a vet immediately.
Onions or food containing onions is dangerous because dogs do not have the necessary enzymes in their digestive system to deal with onion and related foods such as garlic. Chocolate can cause serious harm to a dog because it contains a substance called theobromine. Similar to caffeine, the stimulant is poisonous to dogs and can affect the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms can occur from four hours after ingesting chocolate and can include vomiting, diarrhoea, increased heart rate and seizures.

Also, it should not be forgotten that controlling a dog's diet is a discipline for the whole year, not just over the Christmas season. Along with avoiding chocolate, owners should avoid feeding dogs grapes, raisins, onions or garlic 

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