PET owners are being warned of the potential dangers of feeding their animals BBQ scraps.

According to a 2019 study, one in three Brits feed their pets food directly from the dinner table but barbecue foods in particular can be extremely unhealthy and even dangerous for animals.

Webbox is encouraging owners to feed their pets animal-friendly treats during a BBQ rather than throwing them scraps.

Food from the BBQ has high salt levels that can cause high temperatures and seizures in extreme cases.

Owners will often feed their pets bones however feeding animals bones can cause serious internal issues.

Some bones can get stuck or splinter inside pets' intestines or, in some cases, animals even choke on the bones.

As well as this, pet owners are being warned of the dangers of undercooked and burnt meat.

Undercooked meat could contain bacteria - such as salmonellae and listeria - which could cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

The carbonisation on the outside of burnt meat can cause vomiting or other stomach upset for our pets, with some experts citing it as a cause of cancer.

Leticia Fidalgo Buron, vet and technical manager at Webbox, said: “While many of us love a barbecue, it’s important that people don’t leave food unattended or feed their pets scraps - even if they look like they’re enjoying it.

“Not only can the high salt levels in most barbecue foods make them very thirsty but it can, in serious cases, cause high temperatures and even seizures.

“What’s more, barbecuing often does not properly cook the meat all the way through, meaning animals can get all kinds of nasty bacteria from the raw meat, including salmonella and listeria. At the very least, this can cause some digestive upset such as diarrhoea or vomiting but can sometimes lead to something even more serious.

“It is a common misconception that you can feed dogs bones when, in fact, this is highly dangerous. Every year, I see hundreds of cases of dogs with severe gastrointestinal problems or internal damage whose owners have given them the small T-Bones from a steak, thinking it will not be an issue.

“Bones, especially chicken bones, can get stuck in their intestines and stomach, causing all kinds of internal damage or can cause the dog to choke if it gets stuck in their oesophagus.

“Lastly, the carbonisation on the outside of burnt meat can cause vomiting or other stomach upset for our pets, with some experts citing it as a cause of cancer.”