It’s a lovely time of year for us humans, but the Festive Season can spell trouble for our furred and feathered friends. Here are some ways to keep pets safe at Christmas with thanks to Vets4Pets, Cleveleys.
Did you know… garlic and onions can make your pets very poorly. Please take care not to give your pets foods such as stuffing or gravy on their Christmas dinner.
How to keep pets safe at Christmas
Christmas is a lovely time of year and should be fun for all the family, dogs included. You might already know some of the potential toxic substances our dogs can come across and take steps to avoid them.
However, it’s a time when we often introduce all manner of exciting items into the house that we don’t normally have. Some can be harmful to our fur babies so it’s worth knowing some of the common pitfalls.
We’ve tried to give you a few of the commonest Christmas poisonings below. It goes without saying, if in doubt contact your vet and they will be able to advise you.
Did you know… Most types of blue cheese can cause an upset tummy for our furry friends so avoid giving this as a special treat over the festive period.
Foods for Animals to Avoid in the Festive Season
Christmas is a time for us to overindulge in the tastier things in life! Not so your pets though, what’s a treat for us can be dangerous for them.
Here are some Festive Foods to avoid to keep pets safe at Christmas:
Grapes – exactly why and how these are poisonous to dogs is unknown and the exact volume needed to cause symptoms is difficult to predict. Some dogs will eat one or two grapes and become seriously ill but others can eat many of them without apparent signs. The only way to be safe is to keep them out of reach of your dog
Christmas pudding/christmas cake/mince pies – these Christmas fancies are bad for dogs and cats for a number of reasons.
- Firstly-they are jam-packed full of currants, raisins and sultanas. These are all a variation on the ‘grape’ and as such have the same serious health risks. It’s easy to eat more ‘grapes’ in this form than fresh because so many are packed into these small cakes.
- Secondly – they are full of fat, suet etc. This alone can often give them severe stomach troubles, vomiting etc but more worryingly, high fat meals are a high risk factor leading to pancreatitis. Not only very painful, it can be a very serious and costly to treat.
- Thirdly – they are usually laced with large amounts of alcohol which can cause many of the symptoms of intoxication seen in people.
No chocolate for fido…
Chocolate coins and other choccy decorations – Most people are aware of the dangers from eating chocolate and take steps to avoid leaving them near their dogs, cats and household pets.
However, it’s easy to forget about chocolate coins or tree decorations and leave them in an irresistible location. As well as the chocolate itself, the wrapping foil can be problematic as it works through the digestive system.
Did you know… Cooked bones can be a real problem if ingested. They become very brittle and splinter easily which can cause injuries to the mouth. Plus more serious injuries to the intestines, or could cause a blockage.
Bones – At this time of year we often cook far more ‘joints’ than usual and this normally results in many more bones lying about. Once cooked ALL bones become brittle and splinter easily. Larger fragments get ‘stuck’ and cause obstructions but smaller pieces can cause gut problems. That could be irritation and perforation, or even just difficulty toileting.
Most people avoid the initial pitfall of your dog ‘borrowing the bones off the work surface’. But watch you don’t get caught out later on by putting the deliciously tasty smelling carcass/bone into the bin where is gets raided in the night. Best thing is to take it straight outside into a sealed bin.
Note: Birds (turkey/chicken/goose) are all hollow boned animals. Their bones splinter, whether eaten raw or cooked. Never give them to your dog under any circumstances.
Don’t get the dog drunk!
Alcohol – we use much more alcohol in our cooking at this time of year so even small titbits can be a problem. Alcohol is intoxicating for dogs and can cause the usual unpleasant side effects.
Even small amounts of accidental alcohol consumption by our pets can be toxic. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, tremors, coma and even death
Did you know… Xylitol is a sweetener often found in foods. Unfortunately it can be fatal – even in very small quantities. Please make sure you check your favourite festive treats before sharing them with your furry friends. Even if you think they are ok for them to eat.
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Please Don’t buy sparkly Reindeer Food!
Leaving a carrot out for Rudolph and a mince pie for Santa is an age old, lovely tradition that we’ve all done as children through the years.
However, there’s a new trend to leave sparkly reindeer food out in the garden, to guide the festive gift-givers into your home.
PLEASE DON’T! Reindeer food might be a useful guide for Santa, but unfortunately when it gets light on Christmas Day the birds in your garden will eat the food too.
The downside of reindeer food…
In reality it’s usually oats mixed with glitter and sequins. When birds and other small animals in your garden eat it it can cause them problems with their digestion. Or even block their stomachs up and potentially lead to their death.
If you’ve already bought some or can’t manage without Reindeer Food in your life, simply put it in a bowl next to the window or door where the reindeer can see it when they arrive.
Christmas Decorations and Other Things Animals Should Avoid
Throughout December we fill our homes with all kinds of pretty things. While they’re pretty for us to look at they can be fatal for our pets. Here are some decorating do’s and don’ts in your round-up of how to keep pets safe at Christmas –
Mistletoe/holly/poinsettia – all of these pretty types of festive foliage are mildly toxic and can cause vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea to name a few.
Batteries – It’s not uncommon for Christmas presents to need a steady supply of batteries. These are often intriguing to your pooch and will slip down very easily. Containing a strong acid they can be pretty nasty for your pet so keep them out of reach.
Did you know… The beautiful salt dough ornaments that our children make for us can cause problems for our pets if they eat them. Please make sure they are fully out of reach of pets to avoid any unwanted emergency vet visits
Oh Christmas Tree…
Christmas trees can be extremely hazardous for cats and dogs for a number of reasons:
Pine needles (Christmas trees) – there are a couple of potential problems from these lovely trees. Pine needles themselves can get stuck in paws and cause irritation. If eaten they can also cause irritation or perforation of the intestines. And, the needles are poisonous causing dietary upset, vomiting, diarrhoea and generally very miserable dogs. Vacuum daily and ideally keep plenty of water in the bucket to help reduce the number of fallen needles.
Trees make great climbing frames – many cats, and yes even dogs, will do their best to clamber up your tree to get to the most tempting decoration at the top, or just out of interest. If not properly secured at the base, at best you’ll come home to a capsized tree. At worst you’ll find the tree has capsized onto your pet and caused a nasty injury or even death.
Baubles and Beads
Baubles are amazing playthings, a bit of a pat from a paw and they swing temptingly back and forth. Apart from these things increasingly the chance of your cat or dog trying to clamber up the tree to get at a particularly tempting decoration they can cause troubles in themselves. When they break they tend to splinter into shards, these can cause quite nasty cuts to paws. If eaten they can cause blockages, irritation or even perforations.
Tree/house decorations – Christmas decorations are designed to look attractive and beautiful, unfortunately this usually means they are also tempting to your furry friends. Whilst not often toxic in their own right they can still cause significant problems if ingested.
Did you know… anti-freeze can sometimes be found in snow globes! Please keep them away from pets and where they cannot be accidentally knocked over and broken.
Electrocution – the flashing lights are very appealing to our furry friends and they can become electrocuted whilst playing with them either through a claw or tooth going through the wires or from biting into a light.
Shiny spaghetti
Tinsel – dogs tend to eat this a little like spaghetti, often consuming an entire ribbon of tinsel in one go. Again these are often not especially toxic (even if not particularly nutritious either) but can bunch up and cause blockages. More worryingly it can start to work its way through the guts whilst some is still in the stomach, this effectively runs a thread through the intestines and causes a linear foreign body which is extremely serious!
They can easily get tangled up in the tinsel whilst trying to climb or play with your tree which can trap them. We often see cats having put their paws through the loops used on your baubles which can trap their legs when they try to jump off or move about. Whilst it may be amusing to come home and find your cat or dog wrapped up in tinsel it can be potentially very serious and can even cause death if it catches them in the wrong way.
Stockings/ribbons – It’s common for people to hang up their stockings this time of year or decorate presents with beautiful ribbon bows. These can cause the same problems as Tinsel. Make sure that they are firmly attached and your dog doesn’t get access to them.
Hide the presents properly!
Presents – One area where people can come unstuck is with Christmas presents.
We put a lot of effort in hiding away potential problems but then wrap up auntie Flo’s big box of chocolates to place under the tree. Although we can no longer tell what it is…… our dogs can!
Apart from the irritation of having them unwrap someone else’s present and having diarrhoea in the living room on Christmas day, you’re likely to be making a costly emergency trip to the vets. Make sure any tasty or tempting presents are placed high enough out of the way so that your dog can’t help themselves.
Did you know… Silica gel can cause blockages if accidentally ingested. So make sure you have your eyes peeled for those little packets when the Christmas gifts get opened.
What if your dog/cat/pet does get into mischief?
If your pet consumes any of these things the first thing that you should do is contact your vet for advice.
Usually the more quickly that treatment is sought, the more successful it is.
Editors Note: Many years ago we had a lovely Cavalier King Charles called Toby. Like all dogs, Toby’s eyes were bigger than his stomach. My naughty Dad, while clearing away the Christmas Dinner and washing up, had been titbitting him with turkey scraps.
This was all too much for Toby, who had a dodgy tummy at the best of times. We spent most of Boxing Day afternoon at the emergency vets because he was ill. Suffice to say that Daddy wasn’t very popular either!
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