Reviewed by Dr. Fiona Lee
The holidays are a festive time of good cheer among family, friends, and of course, our beloved pets. The days are filled with delicious treats and twinkling decorations. But if you have pets, these tasty treats and pretty decorations can be dangerous. Here's a look at decorations and food that can pose serious hazards to your precious dogs or cats, and how you can keep them safe during the holiday season.
Be careful with your Christmas tree and ornaments
'Tis the season' for boughs of holly, but all those festive decorations can pose a threat to your furry family members. Consider these five Christmas tips to avoid holiday hazards with your pets.
1. Watch those Christmas tree needles
Whether real or artificial, the sharp needles on Christmas trees can pose a danger to dogs and cats. If small pieces break off your artificial trees and your pet eats them, they might experience intestinal blockage or mouth irritation.1 And although live trees (like pine, spruce or fir) are typically not toxic, the little needles can also cause mouth irritation if eaten. So watch out for pets that might be tempted to nibble on needles. If you can't deter them, it may be best to keep your pet away from the Christmas tree altogether.
2. Keep your pets out of the Christmas tree water
Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers, preservatives and pesticides, which can cause stomach upset if ingested. The stagnant water can also be a breeding ground for bacteria, which can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.1 Keep the water covered, or use a heavy tree skirt to keep your pet away.
3. Be vigilant with ornaments
Keep breakable ornaments out of your pet's reach.2 Those tiny broken shards can do a lot of damage! And we all know that cats and dogs love to play with them. Consider using pet-safe ornaments or a flexible pet gate around the base of your Christmas tree.
You'll also want to anchor the tree securely so it doesn't fall and shatter the ornaments (or windows) if your pet tries to climb it.
4. Read glitter labels
Glitter with an AP (Approved Product) label from the Art and Creative Materials Institute means it's not toxic, while a CL (Cautionary Labeling) seal means you should contact your veterinarian if your pet gets into it.3 Overall, it's best to be cautious and keep glitter where your pet can't reach it.
5. Try to avoid tinsel altogether
Although the sight of your cat or dog playing with strands of tinsel may be cute, eating it can be deadly. Tinsel can become obstructed in a pet's digestive tract, leading to vomiting, dehydration or even emergency surgery.4 It can also lead to peritonitis (infection of the belly cavity). Peritonitis can be life-threatening at worst, and expensive to treat at best. Signs might include refusing to eat, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, belly pain and sometimes fever.5
Holiday food can be toxic to your dogs and cats
Here are seven popular holiday foods you'll definitely want your pet to avoid.
- Xylitol: The sugar-free sweetener Xylitol is found in a lot of candies and gums, but just a small amount can lead to life-threatening hypoglycemia and liver failure in dogs and cats.6
- Chocolate: Chocolate is toxic for dogs and cats—both the caffeine and theobromine in this treat are dangerous.7 High doses can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, seizures, high heart rates or even death.
- Grapes and raisins: The exact mechanism of grape and raisin toxicity isn't known, but the tartaric acid in them is thought to contribute to kidney damage. Even a small number of grapes can be toxic to a small dog.8
- Bones: Bones from chicken, turkey or other animals are dangerous for pets.2 The bone pieces can puncture your pet's delicate stomach, leaving them at risk of a fatal infection, or cause severe indigestion, vomiting or bowel obstruction.
- Raw dough and meat: Raw dough can expand in your pet's stomach, causing pain and life-threatening ruptures or torsions.9 The yeast and sugar can also ferment, potentially leading to fatal alcohol toxicity. Avoid raw meat too, as it can have dangerous salmonella or E. coli.
- Fatty foods and meats: Avoid chicken and turkey skin, ham or other fatty cuts of meat. Any high-fat food poses a pancreatitis danger. Symptoms of pancreatitis can vary from mild gastrointestinal (GI) issues to hospitalization.10
- Alcoholic drinks: Don't give wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages to your pets.2 This can lead to low blood pressure and other dangerous health issues that could cause seizures, coma or death.
Besides these specific examples, there are a lot of other human foods that are toxic to pets, including onions, garlic, scallions and macadamia nuts. Even dairy should be dealt with in moderation, as cats and dogs can be sensitive. It's best to avoid table scraps altogether.
Lights and candles pose dangers to your pets
Decorative lights are enticing for cats and dogs to chew on, putting them in danger of electrical shock. These can also cause burns, especially in the mouth, difficulty breathing, abnormal heart rhythm, loss of consciousness and even death.11
You can keep your pets from chewing on electrical cords by hiding them or rerouting them under furniture, encasing them in PVC pipes or other protective coverings or spraying them with taste deterrents.12 If your pet just won't stay away, try blocking off the tree with pet gates. Or ditch the electrical lights and use battery-powered ornaments instead.
Curious cats have also been known to knock down candles, causing house fires. Never leave candles unattended with a cat or dog in the house, and keep candles out of reach.
Be cautious with potpourri and diffusers
Part of completing the holiday atmosphere may include seasonal scents in the form of potpourri or essential oils in diffusers. But these can be dangerous! Liquid potpourri and essential oil products like oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, wintergreen and ylang-ylang can be toxic to dogs and cats.13
Many popular holiday plants are actually toxic to pets
Holiday plants may be festive, but you'll need to avoid some of the most popular types:
- Lilies: The fragrant lily (such as tiger lilies, Asiatic lilies and Stargazer lilies) is highly toxic to cats. Just one chewed leaf can lead to kidney failure. While not fatal to dogs, lilies can still upset their digestive system.14
- Mistletoe: Severe toxicity in pets only occurs if a large quantity is consumed; however, mistletoe can affect the heart and lower blood pressure. Best to keep it out of reach.15
- Holly: All parts of the plant are toxic. The good news is that true toxicosis is not generally expected in cats. Most ingestions cause GI irritation and depression and don't require treatment.16
- Poinsettias: Red and white poinsettias have a milky white latex sap that can be irritating to your pet's mouth and stomach. Although symptoms are usually mild, poinsettia toxicity can cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea.17
Happy holidays are all about setting boundaries
You can't keep your pets safe this holiday season if you're the only one setting boundaries. Your guests and family should know the dos and don'ts, too. Remind them not to give table scraps to your cat or dog, to keep the trash tightly closed, and to place all their bags out of your pets' reach.
Pets Best can help keep your dog and cat healthy for the holidays
Having a happy holiday with your pet requires a little planning and care. But if you take these precautions, you can enjoy festive holidays together, full of a lot of cuddles and playtime.
Pet insurance is a great way to help protect your dog or cat from unexpected illnesses and accidents that might happen over the holidays. At Pets Best, our dog insurance plans and cat insurance plans can be customized for your pet's unique needs. In addition, Pets Best policyholders can speak to a veterinary expert anytime through a 24/7 Pet Helpline. This can be a big help over the holidays.
Sources/Citations
1. "Are Christmas Trees Poisonous to Cats and Dogs?" Melissa Murray (2/2022), The Spruce Pets, https://www.thesprucepets.com/are-christmas-trees-poisonous-to-cats-and-dogs-3385508, accessed October 10, 2023.
2. "22 Holiday Items That Can Harm Your Pets," (9/2023), PetMD, https://www.petmd.com/general-health/holiday-items-that-can-harm-pets, accessed October 10, 2023.
3. "Crafting with Care: Pet Safety Tips for Holiday Arts and Crafts," (12/2016), ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/news/crafting-care-pet-safety-tips-holiday-arts-and-crafts, accessed October 10, 2023.
4. "Tinsel is the Holiday Safety Hazard Pet Parents Need to Know About," Sandra C. Mitchell (11/2022), PetMD, https://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/holiday-pet-safety-hazard-tinsel, accessed October 10, 2023.
5. "Gastrointestinal Foreign Bodies in Dogs and Cats: A Retrospective Study of 208 Cases," G. Hayes (11/2009), Journal of Small Animal Practice, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2009.00783.x, accessed October 10, 2023.
6. "Xylitol Poisoning in Pets," (12/2021), Sierra Veterinary Hospital, https://sierraveterinary.com/2021/12/30/xylitol-poisoning-in-pets/, accessed October 10, 2023.
7. "Can Cats Eat Chocolate?" Adrienne Kruzer (6/2023), The Spruce Pets, https://www.thesprucepets.com/how-much-chocolate-is-toxic-to-dogs-and-cats-3385506, accessed October 10, 2023.
8. "Acute Kidney Injury in Dogs Following Ingestion of Cream of Tartar and Tamarinds and the Connection to Tartaric Acid as the Proposed Toxic Principle in Grapes and Raisins," Colette A. Wegenast et al. (7/2022), Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/vec.13234, accessed October 10, 2023.
9. "Bread Dough," Pet Poison Helpline, https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/bread-dough/, accessed October 10, 2023.
10. "What is Pancreatitis?" American Animal Hospital Association, https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/ask-aaha/Pancreatitis-in-Pets/, accessed October 10, 2023.
11. "Electrical Injuries in Animals: Causes, Pathogenesis, and Morphological Findings," C. Schulze et al. (7/2016), Veterinary Pathology, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0300985816643371, accessed October 10, 2023.
12. "How to Keep Your Cat Out of the Christmas Tree," LeeAnna Buis (12/2022), Preventive Vet, https://www.preventivevet.com/cats/how-to-keep-your-cat-out-of-the-christmas-tree, accessed October 10, 2023.
13. "Your Cat Ate What?" Michael Peterson (2/2011), 83rd Annual Western Veterinary Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
14. Toxic Plants of North America, Second Edition, G.E. Burrows and R.J. Tyrl (1/2013), Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, IA.
15. "Mistletoe 'American,'" ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/mistletoe-american, accessed October 10, 2023.
16. "Holly," ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/holly, accessed October 10, 2023.
17. "Poinsettia," ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/poinsettia, accessed October 10, 2023.