20 Christmas Dangers for Dog Owners to avoid.

Many dog owners are about to celebrate their first Christmas together with their dogs this year. Christmas is supposed to be a time full of cheer, and I’m sure you want to keep it that way. One of the last things that you’ll be wanting to do is have to make an emergency, after hours (well… Murphy’s law), visit the vet!

I’ve made a list of what to keep a lookout for in your house to prevent just this!

Food & drink

Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine. At certain levels, theobromine is toxic for dogs (and other pets). Because they can’t metabolize theobromine as effectively as humans, it builds up in their system until it reaches a toxic level. If you ever suspect that your dog might’ve eaten chocolate, contact your vet immediately.

How to avoid this: Eat it! You can also hide it from your dog (and maybe yourself too ). 

Christmas pudding and mince pies

All grapes, sultanas, and raisins are toxic to dogs, so definitely keep those out of reach. Whole flour and loads of sugar aren’t good for anyone anyway…

How to avoid this: Don’t buy it and don’t bake it. If you really, really have to, then eat them all! DO NOT share them with your dog!

Macadamia nuts

When you’re nuts about nuts like me, make sure to keep your Macadamia nuts away from your dog. These nuts contain an unknown toxin that can lead to neurological issues and is very high in fat. This can put your dog at risk of severe gastrointestinal distress or even lead to pancreatitis.

How to avoid this: Eat it! 

Onion

Onions can cause stomach irritation and lead to anaemia and should not be fed in any form. Signs of poisoning include diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy, and difficulty breathing.

How to avoid this: Eat all the stuffing and gravy or hide them away. Definitely don’t keep them on the kitchen counter where your big dog can reach them.

Alcohol

This one is obvious as we know what it can do to us. But alcohol is significantly more toxic to dogs than to us and may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma, and even death.

How to avoid this: Don’t buy it or drink it yourself. Cheers!

Artificial sweeteners

Xylitol is a very common one that is found in many foods, chewing gums and cakes. Ingestion can lead to potentially fatal hypoglycaemia, acute liver disease, and blood clotting.

How to avoid this: The best way to avoid it is not to buy these items. You don’t need artificial sweeteners in your life anyway. If you buy them, keep them locked away from your dog as even small amounts can be extremely dangerous. Avoid at all costs.

Blue cheese

Cheese can be a nice tasty treat for your dog but stay away from blue cheese. I didn’t know this until I did my research and learned that blue cheese contains a substance called Roquefortine C, which dogs are sensitive to.

How to avoid this: Go vegan or don’t buy cheese. But if you do, keep it well out of reach and dispose of leftovers.

Cooked bones

Once cooked, all bones become brittle and splinter easily, pierce your dog’s digestive tract, or cause an obstruction. How to avoid this: Don’t eat meat! Or if you’re preparing a meaty Christmas dinner, ensure that all meat is kept on the kitchen surface and dispose of leftover carcasses in the outside bin.

Mouldy foods

Mouldy dried dog food and mouldy human food – particularly dairy products, bread, and nuts – contain lots of toxins that can make your dog ill.

How to avoid this: Buy less, store it well, and make sure that your food recycling bin (or your normal bin) is well sealed. Even better, keep it outside.

Christmas Decorations

Christmas trees

Pine needles can cause mild stomach upset, cuts to the mouth, and even perforation of the intestines in really severe cases.

How to avoid this: Vacuum daily around your tree… boring but necessary.

Glass baubles

These tend to smash into shards when eaten, causing irritation, perforation, or blockages.

How to avoid this: Opt for shatter-proof baubles or decorations made of pet-friendly materials.

Tinsel

Dogs can eat tinsel like we eat spaghetti. It can cause blockages or, even worse, work its way through the gut and into the intestine, which can be extremely serious.

How to avoid this: Don’t use them. Use pet-friendly alternative decorations.

Fairy lights

Some dogs will try to eat anything, including fairy lights, which may cause an electric shock if chewed.

How to avoid this: Use an extension cord that shuts off automatically when damaged and tape all loose wires to the floor. Even better, train your dog, or don’t use the lights indoors.

Plant

Lilies

It can cause convulsions and are potentially fatal when eaten in large quantities

How to avoid this: If you’re keen on a Christmas bouquet, opt for red roses or white orchids instead.

Poinsettia, mistletoe, and ivy

All are mildly toxic and can cause vomiting, drooling, diarrhoea, and other symptoms.

How to avoid this: Keep well out of reach.

Potpourri

This can cause serious gastrointestinal problems, which can last several days even after the material has passed through.

How to avoid this: Keep well out of reach

Christmas Presents

Toys

Some dogs will swallow anything that looks appealing, including children’s toys, even if it’s likely to put them at risk.

How to avoid this: Monitor the opening of gifts and keep new toys out of reach.

Batteries

This is a very serious one! Ingestion of batteries is more common at Christmas and can cause chemical burns and heavy metal poisoning. How to avoid this: Never leave batteries, or small toys including batteries, lying around.

Wrapping or crepe paper

While toxicity is low, eating a large amount of paper may obstruct the stomach.

How to avoid this: Don’t leave wrapped gifts lying around and dispose of old paper in an outside bin.

Silica gel

Commonly found in packaging and typically non-toxic, these can cause blockages in the gut.

How to avoid this: Monitor the opening of gifts that may contain these sachets and dispose of them carefully in the outside bin.

Have a lovely Christmas, keep safe & well x