Festive Foods Potentially Fatal For Pets
The recent Morrisons advert portrays the nations divided taste preference for Christmas pudding and aims to show how, for many people, this choice of traditional desert is really not so popular.
Two boys conspire with the family dog to get rid of a slice of the unwanted pudding - which even a potted plant cannot survive - but in reality, neither could the dog!
Whilst the message is clear on the pudding, the real tragedy is that for the dog this is more than a simple dislike and could potentially turn into a life-threatening situation for your family pet.
In response to this Morrisons Christmas desserts TV commercial showing a child feeding Christmas pudding to a dog, the BVA President Peter Jones made the following statement:
It is vital that advertisers use animals responsibly and we are disappointed to see the Morrisons Christmas desserts TV commercial depicting a small boy feeding Christmas pudding to his dog. Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and mince pies - because they contain raisins or sultanas - are potentially harmful to pets and in some cases can lead to kidney failure.
While we accept that many pet owners understand what is and what is not appropriate to feed their pets, children watch adverts and can be easily influenced by what they see. Veterinary organisations and animal welfare charities work really hard to promote messages about responsible pet ownership and TV adverts such as this one, with huge audiences, can undermine this work.
Christmas is a time for families but we must remember the health and welfare of our animals too. There are a number of festive foods that can cause potentially fatal health complications for pets. Chocolate is one of the most common causes of poisoning, especially in dogs, but it is also toxic to other species, for example cats, rabbits and rodents.
Other foods such as grapes, avocadoes, sweets and liquorice, onions and garlic, and certain nuts (especially peanuts and Macadamia nuts) can all be toxic; rich and fatty foods such as turkey skin or sausages can trigger sickness and diarrhoea - and, at worst, conditions from gastroenteritis to pancreatitis.
It can be tempting to give pets special treats at Christmas but try to stick to your pet's regular diet and don't ruin your Christmas through carelessness.
It you suspect your pet has eaten something potentially toxic, it is important to seek advice from your vet immediately. Don’t leave it!
The BVA's charity, the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), in conjunction with the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), has produced a 'Pets and Poisons' leaflet which could help reduce dangers in the home not only at Christmas but all year round.
Courtesy of www.bva.co.uk
BVA Statement on ASA Ruling on Morrison's Xmas TV Ad
The ASA has decided not to uphold complaints against the Morrisons Christmas TV advertisement.
In December 2012 the BVA issued a statement and also wrote to Morrisons asking them to withdraw the commercial which showed a child feeding Christmas pudding to a dog.
This ruling is disappointing but the ASA has set out its reasons for the decision and we accept those reasons. Thankfully, the advert only had a short shelf life and we hope that Morrisons is now very unlikely to make the same mistakes again. Overall, we hope the whole incident has served to educate Morrisons and the general public about the dangers of grapes and raisins to dogs.
Peter Jones, President of the British Veterinary Association, commenting on the ASA's decision