People should just feed their animals pet food at Christmas and not be tempted to treat them with any leftovers, a vet has said.
Bruce Waddell, a vet at the Willows Veterinary Hospital, in Hartford, told the Northwich Guardian that there are other risks away from the dinner table at Christmas, such as ribbon and tinsel, which can get stuck in the animal's intestine.
He said: "Many owners will give treats to their pets or give them leftover Christmas dinner but this can have fatal consequences.
"Even if the pet owners are aware of the problems it can be Christmas visitors who are not pet owners unable to resist the imploring eyes of a begging dog that can unknowingly cause problems."
Onions and garlic are toxic to pets as they have compounds in them that destroy red blood cells.
The Blue Cross recently urged owners not to let their dogs eat any chocolate at Christmas as a diabetic Dachshund almost died last year.
