12 Pet Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my perfect pooch brought to me, shiny tinsel from the Christmas tree…

This very popular decoration for your tree could become dangerous for your dog if they ingest any of the foil strips. If you think your pup is likely to get hold of any tinsel from your tree this year, it may be best to put it further up the tree where they cannot brush past it and knock it off.

On the second day of Christmas my crafty cat caught from me, a crumbly chunk of Christmas Pud, and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Pets can be crafty, hiding under the table ready to catch any crumbs from your Christmas Dinner, but do be careful what you drop as some foods can cause problems for your pet. Raisins and currants contain nasty toxins which can cause kidney damage.  

On the third day of Christmas my dachshund fetched for me, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.  

This could be a very common thing in your home, especially with all the new toys around the place. Be very careful if you purchase some new batteries for the toys, or if there is a soft toy with a battery already inside. Your pet may easily mistake it as theirs, and end up swallowing the battery when they play with the toy. If you suspect your pet has swallowed a battery, take them to your local vet immediately.

On the forth day of Christmas my tabby tackled off the tree, a bright, bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

By all means you can certainly play with your cat, they tend to especially love the hanging baubles when they are bouncing off the end of your Christmas tree branch, however, be wary of any small pieces, or fragile ornaments. A cheeky, playful cat may be a bit heavy pawed, and end up breaking one after batting it hard across the other side of the room. Clean up any broken bauble shards straight away, and try to keep fragile decorations well out of your pet’s reach.

On the fifth day of Christmas my Golden Retriever ripped to shreds, FIVE advent chocolates. A bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud, and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

As a pet owner, we’re sure you already know this, but chocolate is a definite no for pets, especially dogs. It is very toxic so be very careful where you store your Christmas chocolates, so they can’t get hold, or digest any of it. Not to mention, the foil in the doors and wrapped around the chocolates aren’t easily digestible either. If your pet has consumed a large amount of chocolate, take them to your local vets immediately. 

On the sixth day of Christmas, my Labrador begged of me a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Of course you want to spoil your pet this year, and we understand it is hard to resist those eyes when they’re after some of your food, but please do not give your dog the leftover bones from your dinner. These are very dangerous, and can become lodged in their digestive system. The bones can also splinter and cause a fatal obstruction.

On the seventh day of Christmas my Cockapoo chewed through, the wire of the sparkly lights, a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Each year, lights are all around, from the twinkly little lights on the Christmas tree, to the bigger lights on the outside of your home, and possibly some in the garden too. Ensure to hang them up high out of reach of your pet so that they don’t get accidentally swallowed, or end up with a sore, burnt mouth. Also make sure that there aren’t any lights trailing on the floor, if stepped on, these could break and end up hurting your pets paw.

On the eighth day of Christmas my Bengal burnt his tail on a festive candle, the wire of the sparkly lights, a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Never leave a candle, or an open flame unattended especially if you have pets roaming around. Their tails could knock them over or get burnt. You should also be careful of wax melts and liquid diffusers.

On the ninth day of Christmas my great Dane guzzled down the remains from the cocktail punch bowl, ate a festive candle, the wire of the sparkly lights, a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Alcohol and nicotine are extremely toxic to pets. Never leave ashtrays in reach of dogs, and be careful where you discard your cigarette butts outside. Nicotine replacement patches and e-cigarette refills can also be dangerous so be cautious of those too.  With alcohol, pets would have a similar effect to us owners. In severe circumstances, they could end up in a coma after experiencing low blood sugar and temperature.

On the tenth day of Christmas my spaniel snuck from me, the cheesy leeks from the plate, drank the Christmas punch, ate a festive candle, chewed the sparkly lights, a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Certain species of plants can cause toxicity in animals, both cooked and uncooked. They may initially experience vomiting and diarrhoea, but in the long term can cause damage to red blood cells, resulting in anaemia. Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives are all included in this list of toxic plants.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my Collie knocked off the side, a handful of roasted nuts, the cheesy leeks from the plate, drank the Christmas punch, ate a festive candle, chewed the sparkly lights, a tempting meaty bone, five advent chocolates, a bright bouncy bauble, an opened pack of batteries, a crumbly Christmas pud and tinsel from the Christmas tree.

Nuts, particularly macadamia nuts, can cause lethargy, lameness, stiffness and a severe temperature. Other nuts and foods, such as grapes, dried fruits, sultanas and raisins also need to be kept well out of reach. As mentioned above, this is extremely important, as even the tiniest amount digested can cause kidney failure. Also, be aware of foods such as mince pies, Christmas pudding and chocolate covered raisins as these can additionally cause toxicity.

On  the twelfth day of Christmas my pup gave me kisses under the mistletoe.  

To not be all doom and gloom this festive season, we thought we’d end on a nice one! As with many plants though, please do be very cautious that your pets don’t eat the plants. Mistletoe, along with Holly berries, Poinsettia, Pine trees (Christmas trees) and Ivy can all be toxic for your pet, resulting in an upset stomach, vomiting and increased saliva.