Christmas is such a special time of year but can be hazardous to your pets for a number of different reasons so it’s important to take precautions.
Food
A number of festive treats can be toxic to pets so it’s important to keep them out of reach and if you pet does indulge themselves on any by accident, contact your vet. These include:
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Onions
- Grapes
- Sultanas/Raisins
- Alcohol
Also take care when feeding any leftovers, if your pet isn’t used to eating those foods, don’t allow them to have too much as it can cause gastrointestinal issues and always take care with bones, as these can splinter.
Decorations
Its great to have plenty of festive decorations up at Christmas, but even these can cause unexpected problems for your pets. Take care with any items that may be chewed or eaten. Electric cables can look like great fun to your pet but obviously if chewed can give an unpleasant shock! Likewise tinsel and smaller items accidentally ingested may later cause an obstruction.
Take care with festive plants and berries as many of these are toxic if eaten. Ensure those Christmas trees are bunny proof if you have house-buns!
Change in Routine
At Christmas routine tends to go out of the window! There may be more people in the house than normal, other pets visiting, children and lots of noise. It’s important to consider this isn’t normal for your pet. Allow them space to hide or get away from the buzz and make sure children especially respect their space.
Calmers can be handy to use over the Christmas period to help take the edge off and allow them to chill out. Take a look at our range of calming products if needed to help your pet over the festive season:
https://dukeandcopetsupplies.com/collections/supplements-1
Treating your Pet this Christmas
It’s great to spoil your pet rotten with new toys and treats, but always be mindful to check toys for any damage and either repair or dispose of them as appropriate if they are damaged.
We have a large selection of Christmas toys on the website:
https://dukeandcopetsupplies.com/collections/christmas-at-duke-co
And most of all, have a lovely Christmas!
Ellie Phipps BVSc MRCVS
