With the Christmas period fast approaching, the home becomes a whole new play environment for our pets, but alongside this unfortunately comes additional hazards and toxicities. We understand these times also can get incredibly busy, so to make things as simple as possible we wanted to create a hand guide of hazards that may be found in the home over the festive period.

Pud’s not good!
Christmas pudding contains raisins, which are poisonous to pets. They also contain alcohol which is a big no-no for all animals as they can cause liver damage as well as diarrhoea. Also be aware of people accidently leaving alcoholic drinks in places where animals can reach.

Christmas dinner don’ts
Tempting as it is to share your leftovers, watch out for bones that may splinter or become lodged in your pet’s throat or intestinal tract. An overindulgence in unusual and fatty food can also put your pet at risk of a life threatening disease called pancreatitis.

Berry not so merry
Holly, Mistletoe and poinsettia are all often brought into the home during the holiday season. However, leaves and berries can be poisonous and cause digestive problems if swallowed.

Avoid tonsillitis
For some animals, especially kittens, the Christmas tree is just a new giant toy. So watch out for pets who may get tangled in the lights and tinsel or dogs who think baubles are new balls to play with. Keep the room out of bounds when you are not around to supervise

Chocolate risk
Chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs alike, it causes an increase in heart rate and could result in seizures or even death. Be sure to keep chocolate out of reach and avoid even placing wrapped chocolate under or on the tree, incase your pet decides to be mischievous.

It is also important to remember when we have new visitors and possible louder environments over Christmas, that not all pets enjoy this and or cope well with the changes. Where possible use synthetic pet pheromones such as Adaptil and Feliway, as well as providing places where you pet is able to safely hide away when they feel they need to.