A Word Of Warning - The Food That Harms Our Pets

When it comes to food, our pets love to get stuck in. However, there are plenty of human foods that can harm or even kill them, which worryingly some owners are not aware of. It's even more important to keep an eye on your pets during the festive season, as there will be plenty of food around which is hard to resist.

Over Christmas, I often decide to treat myself and have chocolate for breakfast. Let's be honest, it's the only couple of days when I can't feel guilty! While we all love a bit of chocolate as a treat, this is extremely harmful to dogs and can be fatal.

It contains the stimulant theobromine, which is a bit like caffeine, and affects the the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. Chocolate that is meant for humans can even cause death in serious cases.

Out of the different varieties, dark chocolate contains the most theobromine. If your dog has eaten any, the side effects will occur between four to 24 hours depending on the amount your dog has eaten. These include muscle tension, increased heart rate, seizures, diarrhoea, vomiting, restlessness and rapid breathing. 

Sadly, there is no antidote for chocolate poisoning and all vets can do is either make your dog vomit or wash out the stomach and feed them charcoal to absorb any theobromine left in the intestines. Depending on the signs your dog is showing, they may also put them on a drip or medication to help control the heart rate, seizures and blood pressure.

So this Christmas, if your dog is going to be tempted by your chocolate, why not buy him/her some doggy friendly chocolate instead? This way, you can both have a little treat and not have to worry.

Christmas pudding and mince pies are also a big no no when it comes to dogs. Most dog owners aren't aware of this danger, but foods that contain grapes, raisins and sultanas can give your dog kidney failure. And unlike chocolate, even small amounts can kill them.

It has similar side effects to chocolate, but because this causes kidney failure dogs will also want to drink a lot more water than normal. Why not give them a toy instead, so they can have fun while you finish Christmas off with a festive treat?

The traditional turkey dinner is always one to watch out for too. While raw, uncooked bones are fine for your dog's health and teeth, cooked bones are another matter. These can easily splinter when your dog eats them, which can result in them choking. The skin should also be removed from the turkey if you feed it to your dog because it can be a source of fat. However, the white meat is very good because it is a great source of protein.

The above also applies to cats too and it is more likely they may be affected by these foods because they can jump on higher surfaces to get closer to these festive delights.

Most people believe that cats like diary products, especially milk, but this is not true in all cases. Some cats are lactose intolerant, because they lack the enzyme that helps to digest lactose - a sugar in milk. This can then result in them experiencing tummy problems and diarrhoea.

This can especially be fatal to kittens because they can become dehydrated a lot quicker than adult cats. This is because once they have been weaned, milk is no longer essential in their diet.

Don't forget about rabbits too! They enjoy a good selection of green plants and vegetables, as well as straw and hay. However, it's worth noting that although we also like a decent amount of vegetables in our Christmas/ Boxing day dinner, don't give your rabbit too many carrots.

Carrots are very high in sugar, which can not only cause problems for your bunny's waistline, but can cause them to develop dental problems in the future. Why not substitute this sugary food for the carrot tops, which are high in calcium, sprout tops, broccoli or cabbage? Of course, all this should be given in moderation, but it is much better for your rabbit and they will thank you for it in the future!

• Pets at Home have launched a 'Change their food, change their life' campaign in order to encourage and educate owners on the right food for their pet. This takes into consideration: size, breed and life stage. 
• In a recent survey questioning more than 3,000 pet owners, they found that 85 per cent of cat and dog owners fed their four-legged friends human food and treats on a daily basis. Cheese was the most popular, which can be harmful as some animals are lactose intolerant. 63 per cent of owners admitted to feeding this regularly to their pets. 
• Meanwhile, 31 per cent said they gave their cats/dogs fruit, which included raisins or grapes. 27 per cent fed their pets biscuits, which can lead to obesity, and 5 per cent fed their pets chocolate. 
• Other goods included bread, roast dinners and crisps, all of which can cause digestive problems for your pets.

So, make sure you feed your pets the food that is best for them. While they may not like it as much as your food, they'll certainly thank you for it later in life. 

On that note, I'll leave you with this picture of my rabbit Simba getting into the festive spirit. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Animal Odd Couples - Friends For Life

Animals. They're fascinating and always find a way to constantly amaze us. Take Animal Odd Couples. This two-part series aired on BBC One explores the relationships they hold for one another, even if they are both at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to their species.

What's fantastic to see is they don't judge each other like humans do when it comes to size, colour, race or gender. They accept each other unequivocally and it's beautiful to watch how close a relationship they hold with one another. Whether it's friendship or maternal instinct, a different species or even a stuffed toy, sometimes these bonds can even help to save an animal's life.

For instance, take these guys. All three are animals you wouldn't expect to see this close to one another in a million years, yet here they are nuzzling each other and showing real affection towards each other.

Kept at Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in America, Leo the lion, Baloo the Asiatic black bear and Shere Khan the Bengal tiger all share the same territory, but amazingly get on like a house on fire. While they would also share the same territory in the wild, it wouldn't be as on a small scale like this and one would end up either seriously injured or killed.

Their background is very sad, because as youngsters they were all kept illegally as pets. What makes it difficult to comprehend is that usually when they are kept as pets this young, they have been taken out of the wild and their mother has been killed in order for the poachers to seize the babies.

I don't understand why people would want these animals as pets. I know they're exotic and that no one else has a pet like this, but they are wild animals. They should be treated as such, because one day they may have a bad day and someone ends up hurt or killed.

However, back to Leo, Baloo and Shere Khan. As youngsters, they were kept in a basement before they made their way to the sanctuary. They had never been separated and when the sanctuary tried, they cried and refused to eat until they were reunited. In this case, their friendship helped them attempt to come to terms with their early childhood and reduce the stress they felt when they were not together.

Inter-species friendships can incredibly also help to save certain animals from extinction. Sadly last year in South Africa, 688 rhino were killed for their horn. This animal is usually killed simply because traditional Chinese medicine believes that the horn holds special powers and will help cure people from illnesses. When the adults are needlessly killed, many orphan calves are left behind.

Filming in a secret location at a safe haven for wild animals, the orphan calves are given a second chance of life, using an unconventional friend if another orphaned calf is unavailable. Baby rhinos, in particular, have a very close relationship with their mum and are actually dependent on their mothers for the first two years of their life. In fact, they are so reliant on a mother figure/companion, that it is likely that they will die without them due to stress.

When it comes to pairing up the calves, humans aren't the first choice because they are not able to stay with the babies 24/7. At the centre most of the young rhinos are actually paired up with a sheep or foal instead. As well as teaching the babies to graze properly, the sheep or foal help to make the rhino feel more secure in their environment when out and about in the safe haven. This is because rhinos, especially white rhinos, have very poor eyesight and without a companion they are very insecure and nervous.

In this case, the sheep or foal help the orphaned rhinos to continue with their day to day routine and offer a life-saving solution to the threat of their extinction.

Different species can also develop a maternal instinct towards other animals and even take them in as their own. In the case of Kate, a great dane, she took in Pippin a wild, black-tailed fawn when Kate's owner discovered Pippin in the woods as a baby.

Although she left her for a couple of days initially in case her mum came back, she heard Pippin crying and so took her in. With nowhere else to put her, she laid Pippin on Kate's dog bed. As soon as she did this, Kate looked up at her as if to say "I'll take over from here." This story is so heartwarming to hear because in any other circumstances, Kate would probably have killed Pippin as her other doggy instincts took over.

However, at two-weeks-old, Pippin insisted on sleeping outside in the woods on her own as her wild nature kicked in. She would continue to come back every day to visit Kate and soon their maternal relationship developed into friends. At this time, Kate would tone down her aggression in play and Pippin was rougher than what you would normally expect during play. Amazingly, they both comprised and altered their behaviour to prevent the other one from being hurt.

However, it's not just real life animals that can be friends and even save their lives. In the case of this tiny Dartmoor foal, a teddy bear helped to save his life.

At just a few hours old, this summer Blaze was found wandering around the Dartmoor National park without his mum and was suffering from shock and dehydration. Rescuers took him to the Mare and Foal sanctuary and because he was missing his mum, he was given a four foot bear to keep him company. At night he would cuddle up at night to this giant teddy and started to be much happier in himself.

It's heartwarming to see such a tiny animal curled up with a teddy bear and in this case, Blaze didn't need another animal to help him. He just needed a presence to help him remember his mum and a teddy bear was just the right man for the job.

Here's a video of Blaze with his teddy.