Leaving a mince pie out for Santa could leave you with a hefty medical bill for your dog or even worse, vets warn.
They are bracing themselves for a dramatic rise in raisin poisoning this Christmas after the number treated last year soared.
Vets Now, which runs a network of pet emergency hospitals and clinics, is reminding owners that raisins are toxic to dogs.
They can cause sickness, diarrhoea and potentially fatal kidney failure.
Laura Playforth, a director at Vets Now, said: “Our vets and vet nurses treated dozens of dogs last year who had eaten mince pies left out for Santa and we are expecting similar this year.
“That’s why it’s important to raise awareness that the raisins in mince pies are toxic to dogs.”
Their Telford branch treated several pie-munching pooches in three hectic hours last Christmas Day.
One was three-year-old cockapoo Ernie, who swiped a mince pie left under the Christmas tree for Santa – as well as the carrot left out for the reindeer.
While the carrot did him no harm at all, the pie made him badly sick overnight.
Owner and mother-of-two Jodie Holt, 31, a nurse, said: “As soon as I saw the mince pie had gone, I started googling it and saw how dangerous raisins are.
"Ernie’s not normally a scavenger so when he was poorly it never occurred to me it was because he’d been downstairs in the night and eaten Santa’s mince pie.
“Vets made Ernie sick to get rid of any raisins in his stomach before giving him activated charcoal to absorb the toxins.
“I’ll be making sure Santa gets the pie this year and Ernie goes nowhere near it.”
If you think your dog has eaten grapes, raisins, sultanas or currants, or anything containing them, call your emergency vet straight away.
To find your nearest Vets Now branch for immediate treatment visit the Vets-Now website
