Canberra dog owner urges keeping a close eye on pets during festive season after nearly losing dogs to a Christmas pudding

Christmas pudding is a tradition that usually gets people into the spirit of the season, but for David Croaker and his labradors, Polly and Zoe, the festive food has brought them anything but comfort and joy.

“My wife Helen had her Christmas pudding to take to work for Christmas lunch on Monday, and Polly thought she’d like to try it,” Mr Croaker said.

The vet also administered activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxin.

“It cost us 1,200 bucks,” Mr Croaker said.

Adding insult to injury, the family had a similar scare this time last year — despite always trying to keep human-only treats out of the dogs’ reach.

“Polly seems to have made a Christmas tradition out of exploring our kitchen bench,” Mr Croaker said.

“We had a 1 kilogram box of grapes on the bench and some fruit mince pies, and [Polly and Zoe] dispatched the whole lot!”

The dogs spent four days in the animal hospital’s ICU.

“That cost us a few thousand dollars, which was not a welcome expense!”

Canberra Veterinary Emergency Services director Dr Frazer Boneham said, unfortunately for pet owners and veterinarians, it’s not just raisins raising concerns.

As well as grapes, raisins, and currants — which can all cause gut problems and kidney failure in dogs and cats — “ingested toxins” include chocolate, onion, and macadamia nuts; and fatty, salty foods, like ham, sausages, and roast potatoes.

Cooked bones are also a big no-no.

“I’m sure they enjoy it, I’m sure it’s always well-intentioned, but it can cause gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis and that can, in some patients, result in a set of symptoms that mean they have to be hospitalised for two to five days,” Dr Boneham said.

The effect does depend on what was eaten, and by whom.

“For something like onion, it’s a dose-dependent toxicity,” Dr Boneham said.

Dr Boneham said pets should also be kept away from festive foliage like poinsettia, holly, and pine needles; and beware of snakes and paralysis ticks; cat and puppy-tempting decorations like baubles and tinsel; and holiday stressors like unfamiliar visitors and people regularly coming and going, hot weather, and fireworks.

“Some animals will find changes in their environment really stressful,” he said.

Owners who suspect their furry friend has eaten something on the naughty list, or has symptoms like weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea, or breathing issues, should contact a vet immediately.

But be prepared for less choice and longer waits, with all but two of the approximately 45 vet clinics in the ACT closing for some or all of the next fortnight.

“It does create a bit of a bottleneck and there will be periods over the Christmas and New Year where we’re the only hospital that’s going to be servicing the ACT,” Dr Boneham said.

“It’s often out of hours and it’s often going to be more expensive than it would be during normal business hours, with a regular general practice.”