Every emergency vet knows the rhythm of the holidays. Chocolate calls in the week before Christmas. Bones and fatty leftovers on Boxing Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving. Lilies whenever bouquets arrive. None of it is surprising, and nearly all of it is avoidable.
The table
Chocolate is the classic. Dark chocolate and cocoa-dusted truffles are the most dangerous; a box of chocolates wrapped under the tree is no match for a determined dog’s nose. Use a chocolate calculator the moment you find a torn wrapper — it tells you how serious the dose is while you phone your vet.
Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas hide in mince pies, Christmas pudding, stollen and stuffing. There is no known safe amount for dogs.
Onion and garlic are in stuffing, gravy and most leftovers. Cats are especially sensitive.
Cooked bones splinter. The turkey carcass should go straight into a bin your dog cannot open — ideally outside.
Fatty scraps — skin, trimmings, pigs in blankets — are the usual trigger for pancreatitis, a painful inflammation that can keep a dog in hospital for days.
Give your pet their own festive plate: a few pieces of plain turkey breast, some carrot and green beans. Set it aside before the gravy goes on.
The decorations
- Lilies in bouquets can cause fatal kidney failure in cats — even the pollen. Ask florists to leave them out.
- Poinsettias are only mildly irritating, despite their reputation. Holly and mistletoe are more of a problem.
- Tinsel and ribbon are irresistible to cats and can cause serious intestinal damage if swallowed.
- Salt-dough ornaments can cause salt poisoning.
- Batteries from new gadgets are dangerous if chewed or swallowed.
The guests
Visitors bring handbags full of medicines, sugar-free gum and chocolate, and they leave them on the floor. They also feed scraps under the table. A friendly word at the start of the evening saves a lot of trouble.
For anxious pets, a quiet room with their bed, water and a chew is kinder than the middle of a party. Fireworks on New Year’s Eve are the peak time for lost dogs; keep them in, close curtains, and make sure microchip details are up to date.
If something happens
Know before the holidays where your nearest out-of-hours vet is, and save a pet poison helpline number in your phone. Most poisonings are far easier to treat in the first hour or two.
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