Christmas & Your Dog: Festive Hazards to Watch For
Christmas is a lovely time to have a dog around, but the house fills up with things that are seriously dangerous to them: rich food within nose-reach, decorations that look a lot like toys, and a lot more coming and going than usual. None of it needs to spoil the fun, it just needs a bit of forethought.
TL;DR — key points
- Chocolate, Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies are all seriously toxic to dogs
- Tinsel, ribbon and string can cause a dangerous blockage if swallowed
- Mistletoe and holly berries are toxic; poinsettia is milder than its reputation suggests
- These risks last the whole festive season, not just Christmas Day itself
- More visitors and more open doors mean a higher escape risk than usual
- Boarding and day care get booked up early over Christmas and New Year
Quick reference only — this is a shortened summary, not medical advice. For anything urgent, read the full guide below and contact your vet.
Food dangers on the table
- Chocolate
- Dried fruit & alcohol
- Cooked bones
- Onion & garlic
Christmas dinner brings several genuine hazards together on one table:
- Chocolate, from selection boxes to advent calendars, contains theobromine, which dogs can't process safely. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.
- Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies all contain raisins, sultanas or currants, which are toxic to dogs and can cause kidney damage even in small amounts, plus alcohol from the brandy or sherry in the mix.
- Macadamia nuts, sometimes found in festive nut bowls, are toxic to dogs even in small quantities.
- Onion, garlic and leeks, common in stuffing and gravy, can damage a dog's red blood cells.
- Cooked turkey bones splinter easily and can cause internal injury, unlike raw bones.
- Rich, fatty trimmings such as pigs in blankets or goose fat potatoes can trigger pancreatitis, a painful and sometimes serious condition.
If your dog eats any of the above, don't wait to see if they're affected. Contact your vet or the Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 straight away. My dog first aid guide covers what to do while you get there.
Decorations, tinsel and lights
Decorations are often mistaken for toys, and some are far more dangerous than they look:
- Tinsel, ribbon and string can cause a linear foreign body if swallowed, where one end catches in the gut while the rest bunches up behind it. It's a genuine emergency that usually needs surgery.
- Baubles can shatter into sharp pieces if chewed or knocked down.
- Fairy lights and batteries are a chewing risk, and button batteries in particular can cause serious chemical burns if swallowed.
- Christmas tree water can contain preservatives that upset a dog's stomach, and stagnant water breeds bacteria either way, so it's worth keeping the base covered.
Christmassy plants
Poinsettias are highly poisonous and can kill a dog that eats one.
Poinsettia's reputation is worse than reality, it usually just causes mild stomach upset. Mistletoe and holly berries are the ones that are seriously toxic, and worth keeping well out of reach.
Wrapping paper and presents
- Ribbon and string on wrapped presents carry the same blockage risk as tinsel.
- Small parts and batteries in new toys, especially button batteries, should be treated as an emergency if swallowed.
- Check new toys for chewable small parts before letting a dog play with them unsupervised.
Not just for Christmas Day
It's easy to think of Christmas as a single day to get through carefully, but the tree, decorations and food hazards are usually around for weeks either side of it, and New Year brings its own risks straight after, including the fireworks covered in my fireworks and Bonfire Night guide. The vigilance needs to last the whole festive season, not just the 25th itself.
A stressful time, even for a calm dog
More visitors, more noise, and doors opening and closing far more often than usual all add up, and a startled or excited dog can slip out unnoticed in the chaos of guests arriving or leaving. Giving your dog a quiet space to retreat to, away from the noise, helps far more than most people expect. If the worst does happen, my guide to what to do if your dog goes missing covers exactly the steps to take.
- Keep chocolate and festive food out of paw's reach, including on low tables
- Decorate higher up the tree if your dog is a chewer, keeping tinsel and baubles out of easy reach
- Ask guests not to feed your dog from the table without checking with you first
- Keep an eye on the front door when guests are arriving or leaving
- Give your dog a quiet retreat away from the noise and bustle if they seem overwhelmed
Away over Christmas or New Year?
Boarding and day care both get booked up early over the festive period, so it's worth sorting well ahead of time instead of leaving it to December. Have a look at the full range of services or get an instant price estimate to see what suits your dog's stay.
Christmas with a dog just takes a bit of extra thought, not a lot of extra worry. If you're ever unsure whether something's safe to leave within reach, message me, I'm always happy to talk it through.
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