10 good and bad Christmas snacks for your paw pal

HO ho how the festive season brings us feasts to drool over.
But feeding your pets any bits off the buffet table could come back to bite you.

Foods you should avoid sharing with your furry friend like the plague is:

1. Avocado

Avo contains a substance called persin, which in large amounts is toxic to dogs.

2. Onions or garlic

Raw or cooked, these ingredients can destroy a dog’s red blood cells and lead to anemia.

3. Grapes and raisins

These may seem harmless, but can cause kidney failure. Just a small amount can make a dog ill starting with repeated vomiting and followed by lethargic behavior. Keep these off your counter.

4. Dairy products

No matter how hot summer gets, never share that ice-cream with your four-legged favourite.
Milk and milk-based products cause diarrhea other digestive issues as well as starting up food allergies causing itchiness.

5. Chocolate

Most people know this is an absolute no-no. But just in case you still question the warning signs, vets call chocolate dog poison because even a lick of it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Not a sweet deal for any pet.

Like with humans, some fruits and veg can be beneficial a canine’s health.

Here are the good ones to give:
1. Apples

Without the seeds, apples are great sugary and crispy treats. They contain calcium, vitamin K, vitamin C and pectin (soluble fibre). Do remove the cores – they contain cyanogenic glycosides harmful to dogs.

2. Carrots

Raw baby carrots make great on-the-go snacks. Even cooked or mashed they are good for dogs. Frozen they help to naturally clean your pet’s teeth.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage is actually encouraged for having anti-cancer agents. Adding a little leftover steamed cabbage to your pet’s dinner is a good idea, as long as it is not an excessive amount. Too much and you might have to deal with a few smelly post-dinner back drafts – in other words farts. Your dog will break some very unpleasant winds.

4. Frozen sardines

These tiny fish are rich in omegas and perfect in size to hand out as one snack at a time. Seal them a bag and keep it in the freezer.

5. Pumpkin

This veggie is packed with carotenoids, beta-carotene, fiber, zinc, iron…the list goes on.
Either add it smashed to their food or hand out little steamed cubes or sticks as a snack.
This can help an overweight dog lose weight by bulking up decreased dog food portions and, because it is high in fiber and water content, it also helps to treat diarrhea and constipation should your pet get hold of one of the baddies at the top.

Other healthy foods from the fridge include green beans, blue berries and strawberries, watermelon (without the rind), banana and pineapple.
Freeze some or all the healthy ingredients in a bowl of water and tip over to give your pets a really cool Christmas treat!