Christmas Hazards for Pets

There’s never a good time to visit the out-of-hours emergency vet clinic, especially at Christmas. Unfortunately the most wonderful time of the year is also full of hazards to unsuspecting pets and owners.

Real and artificial Christmas trees

Pets are drawn to Christmas trees like moths to a flame, but did you know that Christmas trees can be harmful?

Pine needles are toxic to dogs and cats and if ingested can puncture intestines resulting in a need for emergency surgery. Additionally, the water trees are placed in to keep them long-lasting is full of resin, flame retardents and preservatives which can cause liver failure if ingested.

Sadly, even artificial trees aren't 100% safe thanks to the plastics used to make them. While less harmful than their live counterparts pets should still be supervised around them.

Christmas food

As mentioned in our article entitled 'What Not to Feed Your Pet: The Christmas Edition' there are a lot of harmful foods available during Christmas time that can be hazardous to your pets.

As a general rule of thumb, avoid leaving your pet alone or unaccompanied around any Christmas food, ensure that all leftovers are stored well out of the reach of pets and never be tempted to treat your pet to foods that are unsafe for them. Even the smallest “treat” could leave you both spending the holidays at the emergency vet clinic and we're sure that's not the way you'd like to be celebrating the season!

Tinsel

Shiny, glittery and draped in places just out of reach, it's no wonder that cats and dogs find tinsel appealing! But tinsel can be very hazardous to your pets. If ingested not only can it block the intestines requiring emergency surgery but the smallest fragments can pierce internal organs too. While entertaining it’s best not to let your pet play with this decorative item.

Alcohol

Alcohol produces the same effects in cats and dogs as humans, only much quicker and with more dangerous results. And the higher the alcohol content the quicker these effects will kick in. Alcohol poisoning or ethanol toxicosis causes confusion, weakened motor functions, digestive upset, diarrhea and even problems urinating. At worst it can even lead to kidney and heart failure. Sadly these symptoms can appear as quickly as an hour after consumption, which is why it’s so important to supervise pets around alcohol.

It's not just bottles or containers that are dangerous either; alcoholic cakes, human medication, even spills on the floor or furniture can all lead to poisoning.

Fairy lights

Fairy lights are as attractive to pets as other glittery and shiny Christmas decorations. The danger is that these get hot, can break easily and can lead to electrocution if chewed. Any pet that has a fascination with chewing cables is at risk from this, especially indoor rabbits! To be safe, keep all fairy lights out of the reach of pets, and ideally ensure that all cables are carefully draped well out of harm's way.

Mistletoe and holly

Popular all-natural indoor decorations, both Holly and Mistletoe are dangerous to pets if ingested. If you enjoy using these plants in your festive decorations ensure that your pets are supervised around them and ideally store and display them in a safe place well out of reach.

Don’t let the hazards of the season prevent you from enjoying this special time of year, and have a happy and safe Christmas-time.