Common Christmas toxins: what's dangerous, and what to do 🎄

Every December, social media fills up with “don't feed your dog this” lists. What they rarely tell you is why those foods are dangerous, what to look out for, or what to actually do if your dog helps themselves. So here's the vet nurse version.

First things first: if you think your pet has eaten something they shouldn't, don't wait for signs. Ring your vet straight away. Many of these are much easier to treat early, and some don't show any signs until the damage is already done.

Chocolate 🍫

Chocolate poisoning in dogs peaks at Christmas (Easter comes a close second). It's everywhere: selection boxes, chocolate tree decorations, advent calendars, and wrapped presents under the tree (dogs can smell it straight through the paper).

• Why it's dangerous: chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which dogs can't break down well.

• The darker, the worse. Cocoa powder, baking chocolate and dark chocolate are the most dangerous. Milk chocolate is less so, and white chocolate has very little.

• Signs to watch for: usually within a few hours. Vomiting, diarrhoea, thirst, restlessness or hyperactivity, a racing heart, wobbliness, trembling and, in bad cases, seizures.

• What to do: ring your vet and grab the wrapper. The type of chocolate, how much, and your dog's weight are exactly what they'll ask.

Foil and wrappers aren't poisonous, but they can cause a blockage. Watch for repeated vomiting, a sore tummy or going off their food.

Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas 🍇

Hidden in: mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, stollen, fruit loaf and chocolate-covered raisins.

• Why they're dangerous: they can cause sudden kidney damage in dogs. The exact cause still isn't fully understood (tartaric acid is the current main suspect), and there's no known safe amount. Some dogs eat a lot and are fine; others become seriously ill after a few. Dried fruit is more concentrated than fresh.

• Signs to watch for: vomiting and diarrhoea, often within hours. Kidney problems can take 24–72 hours to show: drinking and weeing more (then less), tiredness, and going off their food.

• What to do: ring your vet, even for a small amount and even if your dog seems completely fine. By the time kidney signs show, it's much harder to treat.

The onion family 🧅

Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives. Hidden in: stuffing, gravy, sauces, and plates of leftovers. Raw, cooked, dried and powdered are all harmful.

• Why they're dangerous: they damage red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia. Cats are even more sensitive than dogs, and Japanese breeds such as Akitas and Shiba Inus are particularly sensitive too.

• Signs to watch for: a tummy upset at first. Signs of anaemia can take several days to appear: tiredness, weakness, pale gums, fast breathing, and red or brown wee.

• What to do: ring your vet. One big helping can cause problems, and so can small amounts of leftovers day after day over the Christmas week.

Xylitol (sugar-free sweets) 🍬

Xylitol (look for E967 on labels) is a sweetener in sugar-free sweets and chewing gum, some peanut butters, sugar-free baking, and some medicines and toothpastes. Think stocking fillers and handbags left on the floor.

• Why it's dangerous: in dogs, it causes a sudden release of insulin, so their blood sugar crashes. Larger amounts can also damage the liver. Even small amounts are dangerous.

• Signs to watch for: can start within 30–60 minutes. Vomiting, weakness, wobbliness, collapse and seizures.

• What to do: ring your vet immediately. This one is urgent.

Macadamia nuts 🥜

Hidden in: cookies, nut selections and boxes of chocolates. They often come with chocolate attached, which is double trouble.

• Signs to watch for: usually within 12 hours. Weakness (especially in the back legs), wobbliness, trembling, a high temperature and vomiting. Most dogs recover with vet care, but they feel pretty miserable and need checking over.

• What to do: ring your vet.

Mouldy food and the Christmas bin 🗑️

After Christmas dinner, the kitchen bin is a dog's idea of heaven. Mouldy food (in the bin, the compost heap, or that forgotten mince pie under the sofa) can contain toxins that cause trembling and seizures, sometimes within an hour or two.

The bin holds other hazards too: cooked turkey bones splinter and can cause blockages or tears in the gut, and the string, foil and netting from the joint are just as risky.

• What to do: ring your vet. Keep the bin lidded and out of reach, and take the Christmas rubbish out promptly.

Alcohol 🍷

Dogs and cats are far more sensitive to alcohol than we are, and puppies and kittens especially so. Think spilt drinks, eggnog, boozy cake and rum sauce. Raw bread dough counts too: the yeast makes alcohol in the stomach, and the dough keeps rising.

• Signs to watch for: can start within 15–30 minutes. Wobbliness, vomiting, drowsiness and a low temperature. In serious cases, breathing problems, seizures or collapse.

• What to do: ring your vet and tell them what was drunk and roughly how much.

For cat owners: lilies 💐

Christmas bouquets often include lilies, and for cats they're one of the most dangerous plants there is. Every part (petals, leaves, pollen, even the water in the vase) can cause kidney failure. A cat who brushes past and licks the pollen off their fur has had enough to be at risk.

• What to do: ring your vet immediately, even if your cat seems fine. Better still, keep lilies out of the house altogether if you have a cat.

Poinsettia, holly and mistletoe tend to cause tummy upsets rather than serious poisoning, but they're still best kept out of reach.

If you think your pet has eaten something

1. Ring your vet straight away. Don't wait for signs. Check your vet's Christmas opening hours and out-of-hours number now, and save it in your phone.

2. Don't try to make them sick at home. Salt, mustard and hydrogen peroxide can all cause serious harm of their own. Your vet has safe ways to do it if it's needed.

3. Have the details ready: what they ate (keep the packaging, or take a photo), roughly how much, when, your pet's weight, and any signs you've noticed.

Not sure whether it's an emergency and your vet's closed? Animal PoisonLine (run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service) is a 24-hour line for pet owners on 01202 509000. There's a charge per call, and they'll tell you whether your pet needs to see a vet and how urgently.

What your vet may do

Depending on what was eaten and how long ago, your vet may make your pet sick safely, give something to stop more of the poison being absorbed, run blood tests, and put them on a drip or keep them in to be monitored. The sooner they're seen, the more options there are.

Give them their own treats instead 🎁

It's lovely to want your pets included on Christmas Day, so give them something that's actually made for them. A Cow Hoof stuffed with Pure Paté and frozen the night before will keep a dog busy (and out of the kitchen) while the turkey's carved. Or browse our Christmas range, including Pigs in Blankets so they don't feel left out at dinner, and our treat-filled baubles. For training treats to reward good manners around the table, see our Training Treats & Sausages.

This guide is for awareness, so you can keep Christmas safe. It isn't a substitute for advice from your own vet. If in doubt, ring them.

Wishing you and your pets a safe and happy Christmas. 🐾

Carey x