Keeping Your Dog Safe This Christmas: 9 Potential Dangers to Avoid

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and for many households it means tinsel and trees, presents, and a wide range of seasonal goodies. However keeping your dog safe at Christmas is equally important, as the festive season can be a dangerous time for dogs with plants, foods and decorations that could potentially harm them. 

We’re of course not suggesting that you don’t celebrate in style, or enjoy gifting Christmas presents to your dog. In this blog we’re going to have a look at some of the more common elements that you need to be careful with, so you and your furry friend can have a merry little Christmas!

9 Important Things to Watch Out for to Keep Your Dog Safe This Christmas:

Dog Safety Hazard 1: Pine Needles

When it comes to your Christmas tree, real or fake – the fallen needles can be a problem for your dog. If large quantities of them are eaten, they can cause intestinal obstructions or possibly even puncture your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. 

With artificial trees, especially those that have seen multiple uses over time, the artificial needles become brittle and more likely to cause harm if ingested. A secondary concern for artificial trees, is blockages or getting stuck in the dog’s mouth, as the fake branches tend to come off in clumps and are not designed to be chewed.

In genuine pine trees, the needles are mildly noxious, however a large number of them would need to be consumed for toxicity to become a concern.

Be careful to keep the floor clear of these pointy little obstructions, because they can also give your dog sore paws if they walk over them and get them sunk into the soft skin between their pads.

Dog Safety Hazard 2: Holly Berries

These shiny red berries may look great in decorations, but they’re best kept outdoors and away from your dog wherever possible. Holly is toxic to dogs and cats, it contains saponins which can cause vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea, and depression, as well as lip smacking, drooling, and excessive head shaking.

If you think your dog has eaten holly (leaves or berries), it’s best to go and get them checked over by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Dog Safety Hazard 3: Mistletoe

You might fancy a kiss under the mistletoe this festive season, but your dog won’t feel the same way! This plant is actually a vicious parasite that maintains its vibrant green colour by extracting nutrients from host trees. It contains viscumin and is highly toxic to your furry friends (dogs and cats). 

Symptoms range from difficulty breathing, and vomiting, to shock, cardiovascular collapse, and even death.

This plant is best avoided completely, and if your dog has ingested any part of it, a quick visit to the veterinarian is in order right away.

Dog Safety Hazard 4: Tinsel

Perhaps not as dangerous as the plants we’ve mentioned above, tinsel is still a concern and something that you need to keep an eye on. This isn’t just for those of you who’ve got a young, curious, or nibble-prone pet, who likes to explore teeth first. 

When German Shepherd Benji ate three meters of tinsel, it required major surgery. Thankfully Benji’s operation to remove the blockage from his insides was a success, but it could easily have been a tragedy; and it just shows that even the most obedient and ‘doesn’t play with toys’ type of dog can occasionally be tempted to do something silly.

Individual strands of tinsel can also be an issue, as they could bind themselves in the stomach, preventing them from passing through the small intestine, and could end up cutting through the soft tissue, severely damaging the dog’s intestinal tract.

There’s also the problem of smaller, thinner strands getting caught in teeth, and causing pain and discomfort as the dog tries to force it free.

A careful eye, and tinsel in higher, harder to reach places, is something that all dog owners who are using the materials, should be looking at to keep their dog safe this Christmas.

Dog Safety Hazard 5: Tree Decorations

Baubles, fairy lights, carved figures, and assorted shiny dangles might look great to you – but they may also appeal to your dog as well. 

Electrical cords and wires should be kept well out of the way, to avoid the risk of your dog getting tangled up and hurting themself, or worse – chewing them and electrocuting themselves, which can lead to significant pain, permanent disfigurement (such as the loss of an eye or parts of their jaw), or death.

If you’re keeping a real tree, make sure to keep an eye on the water dish – your dog might want to sip from it, and could make themselves sick (with tree sap or the aforementioned toxins in the pine needles) or again, electrocute themselves by dragging the lights down.

Glass baubles should be monitored carefully if you’re using them, to avoid the risk of being bitten and pieces of glass swallowed or dropped to the ground and cutting your pets.

Even traditional wood-carved ornaments should be kept up out of reach, they could splinter when chewed, or be coated in a varnish that might make your dog sick.

Dog Safety Hazard 6: Stardust

An alternative to traditional trees, stardust versions are made from coiled wire and coated in tinsel and shining strands. Like the issues with tinsel, this can cause obstructions, blockages, and internal damage if eaten. The wire frame can also pose an issue if there are sections which poke out, or have become unravelled (this is also true of fake plastic trees and the ends of the branches) – once your tree is up, make sure to check it over carefully from the base upwards, to ensure there’s no unpleasant surprises waiting at your dog’s eye-line, especially if you’re planning to get Christmas presents for your dog and keep them under the tree!

Dog Safety Hazard 7: Chocolate Decorations and Advent Calendars

There are plenty of foods dangerous for dogs, and chocolates are perhaps one of the most commonly known. Almost all dog owners know that chocolate is toxic to dogs as it contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs cannot metabolise as well as people can – they may have been alright in the past with small pieces, but the more chocolate a dog eats (especially those with a higher concentration of cacao), the more danger they are in.

If your dog has ingested chocolate, they may fall ill with chocolate poisoning. Some of the milder symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, panting, and a racing heart. More severe cases can see muscle tremors, seizures, heart failure, and death.

So to keep your dog safe at Christmas, prevent them any access to decorations such as chocolate coins, or foil wrapped Advent Calendar chocolates which can also pose as additional threat, as ingestion of the wrapping can cause potential choking or intestinal blockage.

Dog Safety Hazard 8: Candy Canes

Made from large amounts of sugar and additives, candy canes have a tendency to break apart in sharp slivers, which can cause damage to your dog. The amount of sugar in these treats is also a risk for dogs with diabetes or other blood sugar problems.

There is also the issue of xylitol, now known as birch sugar – this is incredibly toxic to dogs and can be fatal. Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, a sudden lowering of your dog’s blood sugar, decreased activity, staggering and difficulty moving, a lack of coordination, seizures, and death.

The effects of xylitol (often found in the sugar-free varieties of candy canes) can sometimes take between 12 and 24 hours to present, and your dog may have to be hospitalised for medical monitoring. 

Dogs that have ingested this ingredient need to be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Dog Safety Hazard 9: Fruit Cakes

Lastly, to keep your dog safe this Christmas, avoid them having any access to traditional fruit cakes as they often contain ingredients such as raisins, sultanas, and other currants. You might ask yourself, are raisins poisonous to dogs, or is this just an old wives’ tale? The answer is, they are extremely toxic to dogs, and can result in kidney failure, or even death.

Symptoms of some of the toxic effects brought about by eating a large enough quantity (relative to their size, weight, breed, and personal medical history) can include diarrhoea, vomiting, inability to move properly, kidney failure, or death.

So What to Do to Have a Merry Christmas and to Keep Your Dog Safe?

Common sense, care, and an eye to the ground is a good start! Check your tree and decorations from a dogs-eye view, and make sure they don’t have access to the electrics, low hanging temptations, and other bits they can cause mischief with.

Give your companion bespoke Christmas dog treats that are made from high-quality ingredients, with no additives or artificial chemicals – we’ve got a fantastic selection of dog gifts that offer a wide variety of toys for dogs little and large, treats – both meaty and suitable for vegan diets, so your dog have a happy waggy Christmas!