Christmas decorations can be an accident waiting to happen. Tinsel, baubles and ribbons are just a couple of items that may prove too tempting for our pets. These items are often swallowed, either in whole or just a part thereof, and can end up causing a gastric obstruction. The Christmas tree can also cause trouble for our little animal friends; your dog may accidentally view this as a nice “indoor loo”, your cat can see it as great climbing challenge and for birds, those sparkly lights and decorations could be a chew hazard waiting to happen. 

Food is another big problem for our pets at Christmas. While we love to indulge with lots of rich, fatty, sweet and alcoholic treats over the Christmas period, many of these can give more than just a tummy ache for our pets. Some of our favourite indulgences like chocolate or macadamias can be fatal if our animals eat them.

It may not seem like a bad thing to let your dog chew on the leftover ham bone but this can cause a major gastric upset or pancreatitis which is not only extremely painful but in some circumstances can be deadly.  It is best to stick to specific pet treats to be safe.

We all want you to enjoy the festive season with all its indulgences, we also want your pets to enjoy it too and for you all to be healthy come the New Year. Merry Christmas furry-ones!