23/12/2025
Tips for a Happy Christmas with your pets
We all want to enjoy the Christmas season, but it can be a stressful and risky time for our pets. Some forward planning can really help them enjoy their Christmas too, and reduce the chances of an emergency Christmas visit to the vets!
Keeping calm
Christmas holidays can mean lots of visitors, family trips and changes of routine. While some pets enjoy this activity, others can find it stressful.
• Try to maintain their normal routine (feeding times, exercise etc)
• Read your pet’s body language and never force them to socialise, provide a safe haven for them to hide away if they wish
• Consider a pheromone plug-in diffuser (Adaptil or Feliway) to reduce anxiety
Christmas decorations
The beautiful things we decorate our homes with at Christmas are not always pet friendly!
• Tinsel & ribbons are very attractive to cats and make nasty foreign bodies if swallowed!
• Glass baubles produce dangerous shards if broken
• Candles & lights are fire risks if knocked over by pets
• Tree decorations made of chocolate or salt dough are toxic if swallowed
Christmas foods
It’s probably safest to keep titbits and treats to a minimum to avoid tummy upsets. Some of the foods we tend to have around Christmas need to be kept completely away from our pets :-
• Chocolate – never underestimate how determined dogs in particular can be to get to your Christmas chocolate stash!
• Raisins and grapes – in so many Christmas foods (mince pies, Christmas cake & pudding) and highly toxic to some dogs
• Onions and garlic can cause serious anaemias
• Turkey bones are very sharp and can lacerate intestines if swallowed
• Rich fatty foods can trigger pancreatitis in some dogs
• Sugar-free foods can contain xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs
If you think your pet has eaten or been exposed to a poison you can call Homepage » Animal Poison Line . They are open 24/7 and will be able to advise whether your pet needs veterinary treatment or not.
Christmas plants
Several of the plants we associate with Christmas are toxic to pets :-
• Mistletoe, ivy and poinsettias can cause relatively mild poisonings
• Lilies are highly toxic, causing acute kidney failure – this tends to occur in cats who brush against or lick the pollen and sadly is often fatal if early treatment is not given
Finally, when you’re opening the Christmas gifts, make sure pets, especially puppies, don’t eat any small toy parts or batteries!
