Dog owners have to watch out for this during Christmas
Do not feed the dog with, and make sure it does not get hold of, fatty and salty food.
Don’t let the dog join you when you bake Christmas coffee. If the dog ingests fermenting dough, it can become affected by alcohol, and if it ingests saffron in large quantities, it can be dangerous.
Raisins can cause kidney failure and chocolate is toxic to dogs. Call a vet if your dog still happens to get any of this.
Keep candles away – and rinse the dog with cool water if it burns.
Keep the Christmas string away – it can get stuck in the dog’s intestines.
Take care of the dog when you are in large groups or on the go.
Take a look beforehand at how the veterinary clinics are open during Christmas.
During the dark months of the year, both cat and dog owners need to keep an extra eye on their pets. News24 has previously written about the danger to your dog lurking on the ground, and why it’s so important to keep an eye under cars when it’s cold outside.
Christmas time is now officially here, a time for decorations, food in abundance and carols. But the celebration is not always the same fun for all family members. Linnéa Kjellénthe animal insurance expert at Trygg-Hansa, gives his best advice to make it a joyful Christmas for your dog as well.
– I think it is important that you remember the animals and not just assume that they can keep up with anything, that you think a little. So that they also have a nice holiday, she tells Nyheter24.
Photo: Christine Olsson/TT Christmas food that is dangerous for your dog
The most important thing to be careful about is all food that, usually on Christmas Eve, is served or displayed. It is usually about fatty and salty food, sweets, raisins and chocolate, which is toxic to dogs and contains the substance theobromine.
– Something we do during Christmas is that we set out a lot of food and sometimes in places where there is usually no food. It can be difficult to keep track of all the goodies, says Kjellén and continues:
– Some dogs can eat a piece of chocolate and there is no danger at all, but it can be difficult to know how much they have ingested and how the dog reacts. You simply want to avoid it.
The insurance expert explains that the latter, and raisins, are the foods that lead to the most calls to vets during the Christmas season. Please find out how veterinary clinics near you are open during Christmas, alternatively it is a good idea to contact a digital clinic if the accident is imminent.
Keep the dog away from the Christmas string
Many people wrap their packages with Christmas strings and in a wild Christmas present opening, it is not entirely uncommon for them to end up on the floor or somewhere else where a dog could accidentally ingest them.
– The tricky thing about Christmas strings is that the dog can’t melt them. If you’re lucky, they run through the intestine and come out the other side, but in the worst case they get stuck and then it can lead to other problems.
As for cats, who do not like to go wild on the Christmas food, it is important to watch out for the Christmas flowers, which are often poisonous to them. Also keep an extra eye on candles in, for example, windows, so that the cat does not jump up and accidentally burn itself.
Here you can read about the plants that are poisonous to your pet.
Christmas coffee can make your dog aggressive
Something you should also avoid is having leavening dough easily accessible to the four-legged family members. If a dog ingests it, a worrying situation can arise.
– Then they become affected by alcohol. Some dogs can then become afraid or even a little aggressive. It is rarely dangerous, but it can be very uncomfortable for the dog and the owner.
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TTÄ Is saffron dangerous for dogs?
In large quantities, saffron is toxic to both animals and humans, but it takes a substantial amount for it to actually be dangerous.
– If a dog eats a lot of fluffballs, they would rather feel bad because they ingested a lot of balls. But it will take a long time before it leads to poisoning, concludes Linnéa Kjellén.