Christmas Dangers

Christmas Dangers in the home

At Christmas your pet in more likely to sustain and injury in the home than at any other time of year, there are several contributing factors to this. We are more distracted than normal, we have more foods and drinks that are harmful or poisonous to our pets in the house, we have natural decorations that are poisonous, we have artificial decorations that are hazardous and we often have people in our home who may not be fully aware of your pet’s needs. Take some time to risk assess the your home ahead of festivities.

Food and drink

Grapes, sultanas, raisins and currants, and anything you can make from them so Christmas Cake, Mince pies, Christmas pudding, Stollen and Panettone. All of these can cause stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and in severe cases kidney failure.
Chocolate, the darker the chocolate the higher the cocoa content and the more poisonous the chocolate, symptoms of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, increased thirst, panting or restlessness, excessive urination, racing heart rate, muscle tremors, seizures and heart failure.
Stilton cheese (or any blue cheese) can cause stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhoea and seizures.
Artificial sweeteners, xylitol, or birch sugar as it is sometimes called, can cause vomiting,

lethargy, weakness or lack of coordination, tremors or seizures and collapse.

Alcohol, can have dramatic effects on our normally teetotal pets. Whilst having a drunken pet may initially seem funny, a normal human measure can be lethal for your pet. So, look out for your pet vomiting, becoming lethargic, having reduced co-ordination, more severe symptoms include tremors or seizures and eventual collapse.

Natural Decorations

Holly and Mistletoe both the leaves and the berries are poisonous, causing excessive drooling, stomach ache, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and depression if eaten.
Ivy and Poinsettia can cause excessive drooling, stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and depression if eaten.
Lilies, can cause diarrhoea, excessive drooling, lethargy, loss of appetite, pawing at the mouth and face and vomiting.
Christmas trees, the natural oils found in the needles can be harmful causing, stomach ache, mouth burns or irritations, excessive drooling and an upset stomach. Christmas tree water can poison your dog due to preservatives, pesticides, fertilisers and other agents, such as aspirin, are commonly added to tree water to keep the tree fresh. Use a covered tree water dish to be safe.

Artificial Decorations

Batteries if swallowed the corrosion from the acid can be fatal, do not give the pet anything to eat or drink and seek immediate veterinary assistance.
Electrical cables can cause electrocution and burns, so make sure they are not accessible to be chewed.
Glass baubles these can look very like a ball but can cause cuts around the mouth if bitten or chewed.
Tinsel and gift wrap, if eaten can cause massive problems in the digestive tract.
Snow Globes, the liquid inside is antifreeze so be careful if you drop one.
Scented candle, wax melts, diffusers, some of the essential oils used in scented products can be harmful to our pets symptoms to look out for include, respiratory irritation (especially If your dog has underlying respiratory conditions such as asthma or allergies), skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, unsteadiness, depression, lethargy, weakness, ulcers, rear leg paralysis, seizures, swelling around the face, mouth, and airway.

People

Also at Christmas we are more likely to have strangers in the home than any other time of year, but not all or guests may be fully aware of the needs of our pets, they may not be aware harm they could cause by giving that little bit of mince pie or stilton on a cracker, or falling asleep leaving a double whisky or sweetener laden cup of tea unattended for your pet to drink. Older relative might leave medication laying around unaware of the dangers if consumed by your pet. So, brief your guests ask the not to feed titbits and keep drinks and medication above pet height.

What to do if you pet dose eat something harmful

CALL A VET

Have your vets and the out of hours vets phone numbers to hand, If you think you dog have eaten something poisonous or non-digestible call your vet without delay, if it’s out of ours or on a bank holiday it won’t wait until normal hours, the effects of poisoning can come on rapidly in pets. Do not try to make your pet vomit, this may cause more harm.