Safety precautions for your pets this Christmas

December 9, 2021

There are a variety of safety precautions we can take to make sure our pets stay safe this Christmas period. We’ve been talking to our specialists to get their best tips on what to avoid this Christmas.

Wrapping paper:

Wrapping paper can seem harmless for our dogs to play with. However, if dogs eat a lot of wrapping paper this can cause an obstruction in their stomach. Make sure you clean up your paper straight away.

Ribbons:

Our cats may want to play with the ribbons and tinsel. However, if this is ingested it can cause a blockage or twisted intestine resulting in the need for medical attention. Avoid using ribbons for wrapping as these can get missed when clearing up.

Batteries:

Batteries can be extremely harmful for our pets if chewed or swallowed and result in serious internal damage. Alkaline batteries leak a caustic substance that can burn your pet’s mouth, oesophagus, or stomach. If you think your pet has swallowed a battery, contact your vet immediately. Make sure you store batteries away from your pets and keep any toys with batteries in out of reach from your pet.

Plants:

Plants can be a potential hazard for our pets this Christmas. That’s why it’s important to know what is harmful or poisonous.

Christmas Tree:

Fallen pine tree needles have sharp tips and can cause internal damage if swallowed. Cats and kittens may also try to climb the tree. It is advisable to secure the base of the tree to reduce the chance of it falling over as this can also cause baubles to break, creating shards that are dangerous for pets.

Holly:

Holly berries can cause an upset stomach. Make sure berries are out of reach of your pets where possible.

Ivy:

Ivy can cause stomach upsets when ingested and irritation to the skin with prolonged contact. Avoid bringing ivy into the house to avoid your pets being harmed.

Lilies:

Lilies are poisonous to cats as well as the water they are placed in. Be careful where you place these and dispose of the water down the drain so your cat can’t reach this.

Mistletoe: 

Mistletoe is poisonous for cats and dogs. It can cause drooling, retching, and vomiting. Keep this out of reach from your pets.

Poinsettia:

When ingested poinsettia can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach, overproduction of saliva, and sometimes vomiting. Keep this out of reach of your pets.

For more tips on how to keep your pet safe this Christmas period see our other blogs: