Christmas is a time full of love, family and cheer. As much as the period lends itself to spreading joy,
there are also a few dangers to look out for to keep your pets safe and ensure they also have a great time this winter.
Here are the five main threats to your pet’s safety this Christmas:
1. Dogs and Chocolate
Make sure to keep all chocolate and edible tree decorations well out of the reach of your pets. Even ingesting the smallest amount, especially of dark chocolate, can cause great hazards to your pet’s health or even be fatal. If your pet does consume any chocolate, please do not try and induce vomiting yourself as you can further harm your pet. Please seek immediate medical attention from your vet, as every second is valuable.
Make sure to keep all chocolate and edible tree decorations well out of the reach of your pets. Even ingesting the smallest amount, especially of dark chocolate, can cause great hazards to your pet’s health or even be fatal. If your pet does consume any chocolate, please do not try and induce vomiting yourself as you can further harm your pet. Please seek immediate medical attention from your vet, as every second is valuable.
COMMON CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE HAZARDS:
Advent calendars – many people tend to keep their advent calendars in an easily accessed place, either for decoration or because they open a door every day through December. This means that it’s more likely that your pet will also have access to it. We suggest keeping them in a secure cupboard that your pet can not access. If you do wish to use them for decorative purposes, we recommend you place them high up and ensure they’re held securely in place so they can’t be knocked to the floor. You can also treat your dog and buy a dog advent calendar if you don’t want to feel like they’re missing out!
Christmas tree decorations – If you have pets that can access the room that the Christmas tree is in, then we recommend not having edible decorations on your tree, especially chocolate. Remember, it’s tempting to us humans to sneak a treat from the tree every now and then, so it’s even more tempting to your pets!
If you do decide to keep them on your tree, please place them as high up as possible and ensure they are attached correctly and firmly. Remember, your pets can stand on their hind legs to reach things! Using tape to secure them in place will stop them from being shaken loose. Never leave your pets around the tree unsupervised, as they may even knock the whole tree over to access the decorations.
Presents that contain chocolate – if you have any presents wrapped up that contain chocolates, please keep them stored away in a cupboard or room that your pet can’t access. Avoid placing them under the tree until Christmas morning when they will be supervised, and are ready to be opened. If you receive gifts and you aren’t sure of the contents, you can politely ask if they contain chocolates to help keep your pets safe.
Tubs of chocolates –never leave these tubs unattended around your pets. Even with the lids securely fastened, just like children, your pets will find a way in. It’s best practice to keep them secured away unless they’re being eaten.
Children eating chocolates – it is crucial to supervise any children around your pets, especially when they are eating, and even more important when it’s chocolate or something else hazardous to your pet. Children are much more likely to either drop their chocolate and have it snatched up quickly by a pet, or they may want to innocently share it with the animals.
Make sure to properly educate your children about the potential dangers of sharing their food with a pet.
Remember, if you think your dog has eaten chocolate, please seek emergency medical intervention from your pet’s vet.
2. Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies
Another hazard to pets around Christmas time is Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies. Although
delicious for humans, they are extremely deadly to dogs. This is because they tend to include sultanas, raisins or grapes which can cause kidney failure if consumed by your pets.
3. Nuts
Nuts also reach their peak consumption at Christmas time, and pose threats to pets. Not only are they a choking hazard, but they can also cause intestinal problems, vomiting and weakness.
4. Onions
Onions can be very dangerous to your cats and dogs, as if ingested they can cause damage to the red blood cells and lead to anaemia. Please be mindful of the leftovers you feed to your pet. For example, stuffing and gravy are likely to contain onions in some form and should not be fed to your furry friends. Garlic, spring onions and leeks can also have the same effect on your pets and should not be given to them.
5. Bones
Despite what the cartoons say, bones can be hazardous for pets. Cooked bones are brittle and can splinter when being chewed. This can create sharp shards of bone which could then tear or obstruct your pet’s digestive tract. When bones have been consumed, your vet will often need to operate on the animal to retrieve the objects and to ensure no damage has been caused internally.
Not all items that pose a risk to your pet throughout the Christmas season are edible. Decorations such as tinsel can become choking hazards. Cats and ferrets especially will love to play with tinsel and ribbon, but it can cause fatal blockages in their intestines.
The Christmas tree itself can pose many threats to your pet’s safety. Cats especially are drawn to decorated trees and love to try and climb them. This can cause the tree to tip over, smashing baubles and other decorations which can then injure your cat.
Fairy lights wrapped around the tree could also pose a risk to your pets safety if they become tangled in them. If your pets climb into the tree to investigate, they may become tangled and panic and injure themselves.
Pine needles can also cause stomach and intestinal issues for your pets if ingested, and curious animals will definitely try to eat them! We recommend not leaving your pets alone and unsupervised around a Christmas tree.
If you have any dog Christmas presents, try and only place them under the tree on Christmas morning, as your pet is likely to be able to smell their contents and try to investigate by themselves.
If there are children around, Christmas usually means toys, which usually means batteries. Not only are these a choking and ingestion risk to your children, but also to your pets. In addition to being a choking hazard, batteries can also cause metal poisoning and internal chemical burns. Please ensure your pets are supervised at all times around toys with batteries.
Finally, and maybe unexpectedly, some Christmas plants can pose a serious threat to the health of your pets. Mistletoe, holly and ivy are some of the common festive plants which can be toxic to your pets. If you choose to keep them, please keep them in a room that your pets don’t have access to.
If you think your pet has ingested any of the items mentioned, or you think they have ingested something that is making them act strangely, please contact us on 02045199857 and email at ealing@pawsinthecityx.com to speak with our Ealing vet or on 02045192670 and at greenford@pawsinthecityx.com to speak with our Greenford vet as they may need urgent medical attention.