Christmas is a time for family, sharing and great food! A huge part of our traditions surrounding Christmas involves spending hours in the kitchen to create a feast fit for a king, and then gathering around the table as a family to devour it! At DogFest, we know you consider your dogs as family – just as we do! So it’s only natural that you’d want to include your dog in the festive feasts too.
We spoke to our resident Pet Nutritionist and TV Presenter Chloé Fuller, handler of The Super Spaniels, to see what we need to be mindful of when it comes to sharing Christmas dinner with our dogs.
Can you give your dog their own Christmas Dinner?
Totally, and I’ll be giving you my recommendations for a dog-safe Christmas Dinner in a moment. But first let’s discuss some of the potential pitfalls to giving your dog part of your Christmas Dinner. There are a number of things we want to avoid – the last thing we want is an unexpected vet visit at this time of year! Emergency vets see a phenomenal rise in cases around the festive season, and it can get pretty pricey to deal with!
One of the things we need to avoid sharing with our dog is Gravy! Gravy is very high in sodium, which isn’t healthy for dogs. It also often contains flavouring such as garlic and onion powder which can cause damage to red blood cells. For the very same reasons, we also want to avoid stuffing too!
Next, you must never feed your dog cooked bones that might be left over from your turkey! Cooked bones splinter and may cause intestinal perforations which can be life-threatening. Lastly, be careful of feeding too much fat. You might think a little bit of crispy turkey skin is a lovely treat for your dog, but the fat content can be so high that your dog is at risk of pancreatitis.
It seems like there’s a lot to think about! What food can I share with my dog this Christmas?
There’s lots from our plate that our dogs could enjoy this Christmas, here are my recommendations for a safe, tasty, and nourishing Christmas Dinner for your dog.
Turkey: If you’re sharing some of your Turkey with your dog, avoid any of the skin and bones – instead you might want to give your dog the darker turkey meat! This often goes to waste because us humans are a bit picky about it. But the darker turkey meat contains more nutrients, especially iron!
Carrots: If you’ve listened to my Booster Bowl talk at DogFest, you’ll know I love to recommend carrots! Feeding colourful veggies 2-3 times per week was found to decrease the likelihood of one type of cancer by 70-90{fb151cea4b22b966e472b4793cf5efe9efc0a70a9ee179f9bf7a6facf9304492}!! Leftover, unseasoned steamed/boiled carrots are a fantastic addition to your dog’s Christmas Dinner.
Parsnips: Much like Carrots, Parsnips contain a good amount of fiber which can help with improving your dog’s gut health. Sweeter than Carrots, dogs often prefer Parsnips!
Sprouts: The criminally underrated leafy green! Sprouts contain glucosinolates which help remove cancer-causing carcinogens from the body, along with being rammed full of antioxidants which can improve inflammation levels.
Cranberries: Cranberries boast a wealth of benefits! Studies have linked cranberry compounds to antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer effects! An enriching choice, it’s unlikely your dog has ever had something with a cranberry taste before.
Is there anything else that’s toxic to our dogs this festive season?
Yes!! This time of year is rife with hazards lying around!
Decorations: Tinsel, fairy lights and baubles! They look beautiful, but not inside your dog’s gut. Baubles can cause lacerations in the mouth and intestines, while tinsel may cause intestinal obstructions. If you think your dog has swallowed any decorations, you must visit your vet immediately.
Mince Pies: Mince Pies are absolutely not suitable for your dog! They usually contain raisins and sultanas which are toxic to dogs! We know grapes are a no-no, but many people forget that raisins are dried grapes, making them more concentrated and even more dangerous for your dog to consume. Mince Pies may also contain the artificial sweetener, Xylitol, which is incredibly toxic to dogs.
Mistletoe: While we might associate Mistletoe with more positive outcomes, it couldn’t be further from the truth for our dogs! It’s an especially toxic plant and can cause the heart rate to slow down and blood pressure to decrease. Keep well away!
Chocolate: Chocolate contains a compound called Theobromine that dogs cannot safely metabolise. If your dog consumes chocolate, they can be left with lasting organ damage, and even potentially die.
Alcohol: Even small amounts of alcohol can be dangerous for dogs! Just like us, dogs can become intoxicated, but the effects can be disastrous, with fatal respiratory failure a huge risk.
We don’t want your dog to be left out of the Christmas cheer, but for any dogs who might have pre-existing health conditions, be sure to consult with your vet before introducing anything new to their diets. Make sure to take photos of your dog with their Christmas Dinner and share them with us on social media! Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season from all of us here at DogFest.
We can’t wait to see you soon!
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