There are some flavours that are so woven into the fabric of Christmas that they help to bring this time of year to life. The delicious, warm spiciness of mulled wine and the booziness of a well aged Christmas cake. Then there’s mince pies. While these make delicious treats for us humans, they can be very dangerous for dogs. So what do you do if your dog eats a mince pie? Let’s find out.
Keep out of reach
It’s true that the only safe mince meat for a dog is the sort you get from the butcher that has then been thoroughly cooked. The mince meat that we put in mince pies is full of things that are not good at all for dogs with one of the key worries being raisins.
Raisins (and their less shrivelled former selves, grapes) are highly toxic to dogs and can cause acute kidney injury (kidney failure, essentially) and this can lead to death. This is why it’s imperative to keep things like Christmas cakes and mince pies away from your four-legged friend.
Call your vet
If you witness your dog snaffle a mince pie, or anything else containing raisins, currents or sultanas, call a vet straight away. Your dog may look and seem fine, but it’s important to get them checked as quickly as possible. Your vet will know what to do, and at this time of year, they’re no strangers to calls regarding greedy pups chomping down things they shouldn’t be chomping down on.
Your vet is likely to ask you to bring your dog into the surgery and they may be kept in overnight for observation. Talking to your vet early, and getting your dog to them if necessary quickly is vital. The quicker you get the vet involved, the better it is for everyone, especially your dog.
