Adapted from DSPCA (© Vets Now 2009), Apartment Pets and Harmony Animal Hospital.

There are a number of potential hazards to be mindful of during the festive season so read on and feast your eyes on all the tips to ensure you and your pet have a happy, safe and stress free time at Christmas…

Stick To Your Usual Routine

Even though the festive season is upon us it is still important to stick as closely to normal feeding and walking patterns as we can in order that our pets are not put under any undue stress, as a change in routine can often cause pets to become anxious and unsettled.

Holiday Hazards

Many of the things we commonly associate with the holidays can cause problems for our pets. Here’s a list of poisonous items:

• Poinsettias (both leaves and stems)
• Mistletoe
• Pine, pine, cedar
• Angel hair
• Christmas tree flock, artificial snow
• Christmas tree preservatives
• Holly berries and leaves
• Chocolate

The following items could be swallowed, causing intestinal problems:

• Styrofoam
• String
• Ribbon
• Tinsel
• Broken ornaments

Festive Foliage

The finishing touches to every home at Christmas often come in the form of plants and flowers; however, certain types of plants are highly toxic and can even cause death. Poinsettia, Holly, Mistletoe, Amaryllis, Lilies and Yew tree are poisonous to pets and must be kept well out of reach. Poinsettia can cause drooling, oral pain, and vomiting and Mistletoe causes vomiting, laboured breathing, shock, and even death from cardiovascular collapse if ingested. Seek immediate veterinary treatment if you think your pet may have ingested parts of any of these plants.

Chocolate

Many people do not realize that chocolate can be a poison. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries a much higher dose of the toxin ‘theobromine’ than does milk chocolate, but even normal milk chocolate can be dangerous; a small dog sharing candy can wind up in big trouble. Clinical signs of chocolate poisoning include hyperexcitability, nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea and death.

Christmas Decorations

One of the nicest things about December is getting the house ready for Christmas. However, pets, like humans, tend to find the lure of Christmas sparkle irresistible, so we would urge pet owners to be mindful of the following when adding the seasonal touches to your home this Christmas: If you have a real tree, sweep up the fallen needles regularly as these can easily get stuck in your pet’s paws or throat and trim the lower branches to avoid poking accidents. If possible, try to fence off your Christmas tree from your pet and never leave your pet unattended in a room with a Christmas tree. Make sure your Christmas tree is stable and well anchored so that your pet can’t pull it over.

Do not hang sweets or chocolates from your tree. These will be too tempting for your pooch to resist and chocolate is highly toxic to dogs and can result in death if even a small quantity is consumed. No Christmas tree is complete without fairy lights but stray cables and wires may be tempting for your pet to nibble on. To remove the risk of electrocution, please ensure that all cables are out of reach of pets and tape down any loose ones. Cats in particular love trying to knock baubles from the Christmas tree so try to use unbreakable decorations. Avoid using glass or fragile decorations which can break easily, cutting paws and if ingested, can cause serious gastrointestinal complications.

Tinsel and ribbon should be avoided, or confined to the higher branches of your tree, as these are of special interest to playful cats and kittens who see these materials as toys (or prey) to be chased, pounced upon, chewed or swallowed. While chasing and pouncing pose no health threats, chewing and swallowing do, as these strings or ‘linear foreign bodies’ can catch in the GI tract, leading to bunching of intestine as the body tries in vain to move the string or ribbon through. This is a life-threatening condition requiring surgery for correction. Supervise animals who play with string closely.

Electric Cords

These are also tempting to cats who like to play with string, as well as to puppies who are teething and interested in chewing. If a companion bites through an electrical cord, it could result in a severe burn to the tongue, which causes their lung to fill with fluid, causing respiratory distress. This is also an emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention.

Cooking

Keep companions out of the kitchen during the hustle and bustle of the season. The last thing you want is for someone you love to get underfoot and burned from spillage.

Dietary Indiscretion

We all like to include our companions in holiday meals along with the rest of the family, but try to keep in mind that sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset their stomach. Vomiting and diarrhea are not uncommon. If leftovers are of an especially fatty nature, the pancreas become inflamed and overloaded. This condition is serious and may require hospitalization. In addition, try to resist the temptation to overindulge your pet (after all with pet obesity becoming a serious problem we certainly don’t want to make it worse!)

Exercise

It’s easy to slip out of your normal routine at Christmas with endless parties, visitors and dozing in front of the telly, but if you’re one of the UK’s millions of dog owners, you’ll have no excuse for getting outside (and escaping the Christmas washing up!) and getting some fresh air and exercise for you and your dog. With the extra hustle and bustle with visitors, children, the noise of the television, music and computer games etc, your dog will thank you for a bit of peace and quiet and exercise!

Toys

Once Santa has been our homes often look like a toy store, so when possible try to ensure children’s’ toys are not left lying around if they have small parts that your pet could tear or chew off and choke on. Don’t forget about all the little toys you get in Christmas crackers! What’s more when it comes to children and your pet keep a close eye on your pet to make sure they don’t get over excited with all the Christmas fuss!

Visitors

Christmas can be a busy time with visiting friends and relatives so make sure your pet doesn’t make an escape in the commotion, and ensure all the excitement of having visitors doesn’t distress your pet by simply keeping an eye on them or letting them relax in an unoccupied room.