Diary Entry 12: Christmas Dangers

Dear Diary,

Christmas is coming up which means extra treats, presents and getting to wear my special Christmas bandana! However, there are lots of other things around at Christmas that I would love to have if I was allowed. 

My twelve bad things of Christmas include:

1.       Mince Pies – they look so scrummy and the smell of them cooking makes my mouth water, but they contain raisins which can be bad for my kidneys.

2.       Poinsettia flowers – I have to investigate everything by eating it, but eating this plant is a no go, as they could make me feel quite sick.

3.       Chocolate – this is always difficult for me to resist and I would eat a whole box if I was allowed (or if someone left them within my reach) but there’s a worry about vomiting and seizures if I get my paws on them.

4.       Stuffing – it might be tempting for the humans to give me bits of their Christmas Dinner, but the stuffing often has onions mixed in which can cause an upset tummy or even anaemia, I think I’ll give that a miss.

5.       Tinsel – it looks so fun to play with; I’d love to start ripping it up and chewing on it, but I suppose it could tie my insides in knots!

6.       Nuts – whenever I hear a packet rustling, I go straight over to investigate and remind the humans that I’m there. I love peanut butter so much but if I have any other nuts it could make me poorly, Macadamia nuts are a big no no.

7.       Christmas decorations – the shiny colours are so attractive but sometimes these are made of glass which could cut my mouth if I start chewing on them!

8.       Toys – I love fluffy toys, after I’ve carried them around for a bit they are great for tearing apart, usually I get colourful poo the next day but I guess these pieces could get stuck in my intestines if I swallowed a big chunk.

9.       Batteries – they could get eaten accidentally when chewing a toy and the harmful chemicals could cause burns to my insides!

10.   Turkey bones – I’d love to get my chops around that big juicy carcass, nothing would go to waste if it was mine. The humans make sure to put it straight into the outside bin though as they say the sharp bones could cause damage to my insides or get stuck. Ouch!

11.   Alcohol – when I see the humans having food and drink, I really want to share it but if they give me some of their alcohol, I could feel wobbly and sick, a bit like them I guess! That’s why I have my own special doggy beer or Pawsecco!

12.   Sweets – my own treats are boring, I want some of the treats that the humans have in their shiny crinkly wrappers but sometimes sweets contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol which could cause my blood sugar levels to become dangerously low or result in liver failure!

After all that, I think I’ll be a good boy and just stick to the doggy treats that I’m allowed, I don’t want to have to go to the vets on Christmas Day after all!

Jasper x