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Christmas and Holiday Hazards for Pets: Food, Plants, Tinsel and More

Updated October 21, 2026 · By the PureOrganism editors

The weeks around Christmas combine three things that rarely occur together the rest of the year: unusual food within reach, unfamiliar objects at pet height, and a household too busy to notice what the dog is doing under the table. Emergency vets across the US and UK commonly describe the holiday period as a busy one for pet poisonings and foreign-body cases, and the culprits are strikingly predictable.

This guide goes through the festive hazards in the order you meet them: the kitchen, the living room, the tree, the plants, and the gift pile. It is general information compiled by the site editors from veterinary and poison-centre sources. It is not veterinary advice. If your pet has already swallowed something, ring a professional rather than reading on.

Emergency numbers worth saving before the holiday

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (US): +1 888-426-4435
• Pet Poison Helpline (US and Canada): +1 855-764-7661
• Animal PoisonLine (UK): 01202 509000

These services may charge a consultation fee. Find out now which emergency vet is open on 25 December, because your regular practice may not be. Put the number somewhere other than your phone's recent-calls list. Our guide to the first hour of a suspected poisoning lists what to gather before calling.

The kitchen and dining table

Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both of which dogs process slowly. Dark chocolate and cooking chocolate carry much more theobromine per gram than milk chocolate, so a small amount of the former can be more serious than a large amount of the latter. Chocolate advent calendars, tree decorations, selection boxes and liqueur chocolates are the usual sources. Foil and wrappers add a foreign-body risk. Our theobromine tool and the article on how chocolate toxicity works explain how risk relates to body weight and chocolate type.

Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas

These are in mince pies, Christmas puddings, stollen, fruitcake and panettone. In some dogs, grapes and raisins cause acute kidney failure, and the amount that does harm is not predictable from body size alone. For that reason veterinary advice is to treat any ingestion as worth a call. The background is in our guide on grapes, raisins and tartaric acid and the tool page.

Xylitol

Xylitol, a sweetener, can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar and liver injury in dogs. Check sugar-free chewing gum, sugar-free sweets, some baked mixes and certain nut butters. Handbags left on the floor are a classic source. See where xylitol hides.

Onions, garlic and leeks

Stuffing, gravy, and some roasted vegetable dishes often contain alliums, which can damage red blood cells in dogs and cats. The effect may be delayed by a day or more. See the allium entry.

Macadamia nuts and other nuts

Macadamia nuts are listed as toxic to dogs, with weakness, tremors and vomiting. Nuts also carry mould risk and choking hazard. See the macadamia entry.

Fat, bones and the turkey carcass

Rich, fatty leftovers such as skin, drippings, gravy and ham can trigger vomiting, diarrhoea and in some dogs pancreatitis, a painful inflammation that usually needs veterinary care. Cooked poultry bones can splinter, and string or netting from a roast is a classic cause of intestinal obstruction. Put the bin in a closed cupboard or take it outside, and do not leave a roast carcass on the counter.

Alcohol and raw dough

Alcohol affects pets much faster than people. Unattended glasses, eggnog, trifle and rum-soaked fruitcake are all potential sources. Raw yeast dough expands in the warm stomach and can produce alcohol as it ferments, so rising dough on a countertop is also a risk.

The living room and the tree

Tinsel, ribbon and string

Cats in particular are drawn to long, shiny, dangling strings. If swallowed, a linear object can anchor in the stomach or under the tongue while the intestine bunches up around it, a condition vets call a linear foreign body. This often needs surgery. Never pull a thread hanging from a pet's mouth or rear end. Use fewer dangling decorations, or skip tinsel entirely in a cat household. Wrap gifts with minimal ribbon, and clear paper and bows as they are opened.

Tree water and needles

Water in a real-tree stand may contain tree sap, bacteria, and any preservative or fertiliser you added. The main effect from a sip is usually stomach upset, but make the stand inaccessible with a tree skirt or guard. Fallen needles can irritate the mouth and gut and occasionally puncture. Sweep them regularly.

Baubles, lights and cables

• Glass baubles shatter into sharp pieces. Hang breakable ornaments high, and use plastic ones on the lower branches.
• Salt-dough ornaments contain a high amount of salt. Dogs that eat them can develop salt poisoning, which is an emergency.
• Edible ornaments such as candy canes and chocolate coins bring the sugar, xylitol and chocolate issues above.
• Electric cables invite chewing in puppies and kittens. Use cord covers, and switch lights off at the wall when you are out.
• Button batteries in light-up decorations and cards are a serious hazard if swallowed. They can burn tissue quickly, so seek veterinary help straight away rather than waiting for symptoms.
• Candles and wax melts can burn a swishing tail or a nosy nose. Keep them on high surfaces.
• Potpourri and liquid scents can be corrosive or toxic, especially to cats.

The tree itself is a tip-over risk. Anchor it to a wall or ceiling hook if you have a climber or a bouncy dog.

Festive plants

Fir, pine and spruce trees are usually treated as low-toxicity but their oils and needles can irritate. Artificial trees remove the water and needle problems but can be chewed.

Gifts, guests and the chaos factor

• Guests' bags and coats. Gum, mints, medication, and chocolate travel in pockets. Ask visitors to hang bags out of reach, or put them in a closed room.
• Human medicines. Painkillers and sleep aids are among the most common household poisons. See our article on human medicines and pets.
• Cannabis edibles and e-cigarette liquid are real risks in a house with visitors; see cannabis and THC in pets.
• Antifreeze and de-icer in the garage or on driveways, particularly attractive to dogs; see antifreeze and ethylene glycol.
• Open doors. Pets slip out as people arrive. Make sure microchip details are current and the collar tag is readable.
• Stress. A noisy house is tiring. Give nervous animals a quiet room, water, and a bed with the door closed.

A practical holiday plan

1. Decide on a food rule and tell everybody, including children: no feeding from the table.
2. Put chocolates, puddings and gifts on high shelves, not under the tree.
3. Use a pet-proof bin, and empty it before bedtime.
4. Use fewer dangling decorations, and none at cat height.
5. Secure the tree; cover the stand's water.
6. Remove lilies from bouquets, or refuse them politely.
7. Check the opening hours of your nearest emergency vet and save the numbers above.
8. Photograph packaging of anything eaten, with the time, before calling.

What to do if the worst happens

Call early. For chocolate, raisins, xylitol and lilies, outcomes are generally better when treatment starts before symptoms. Do not make a pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. If the object is a string hanging from the mouth, do not pull. If the animal is collapsing, convulsing, or struggling to breathe, go straight to an emergency clinic and phone ahead from the car.

Small animals, birds and reptiles

Most holiday advice is written for dogs and cats, but the same house holds other animals. Rabbits and rodents chew cables and tree branches, and a pine-scented room full of aerosol sprays is a poor place for a pet bird, whose respiratory system is sensitive to fumes. Non-stick cookware that is overheated can release fumes that are dangerous to birds, so a busy kitchen on the big day deserves a thought if a bird lives nearby. Keep cages away from the cooking area, away from candles and wax melts, and out of the draught from doors that open all day. Reptile and fish tanks need steady heating; make sure a crowded, busy house does not lead to a plug being pulled out of a heater socket for the sake of an extra set of fairy lights.

Common questions

Is turkey safe for dogs?

Plain cooked turkey meat in small amounts is generally fine for most healthy dogs. Skin, fat, bones, seasoning, stuffing and gravy are the problem parts.

Are poinsettias deadly?

No. Their reputation outstrips the evidence. They can still make a pet drool and vomit, so keep them out of reach.

Can I give my dog a little of what I am having?

Occasional small amounts of plain, safe food are one thing. Rich, seasoned, or sweetened food is another. When in doubt, buy a pet treat.

Sources

• ASPCA: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
• ASPCA: Poinsettia
• ASPCA: Holly
• ASPCA: Mistletoe
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Chocolate Toxicosis in Animals
• Pet Poison Helpline

Not veterinary advice. The authors are not veterinarians. If your pet may have eaten something toxic, call your vet or a pet poison line now: ASPCA Animal Poison Control (US) +1 888-426-4435, Pet Poison Helpline (US/Canada) +1 855-764-7661, Animal PoisonLine (UK) 01202 509000. Fees may apply. Spotted a mistake? Email huhuwen09@gmail.com with the page address and we will check and correct it.