Potential Christmas Dangers for Your Dog

December 14, 2019 12:57 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Christmas is a time of family togetherness and indulgence, and dogs deserve to be a part of the fun. However, there are also a lot of potential dangers that arise for dogs around Christmastime that they might not be exposed to at other times of the year. This makes it important to keep a closer eye on your four-legged friend during the holiday season to make sure they stay safe and can enjoy the season along with the rest of your family.

Here are a few examples of some of these potential Christmas dangers for your dog in Henderson, NV.

Foods and beverages

There are certain types of foods and beverages that are popular round the holiday season that could potentially be dangerous to your dog.

There are going to be a lot of sweets that get brought out during the Christmas season that could be dangerous to dogs. Chocolate is among the most common of these. The darker the chocolate, the more potentially toxic it becomes. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous, and it’s frequently used in holiday desserts. You should avoid giving chocolate to dogs under any circumstances.

Other examples of possibly dangerous foods and vegetables include grapes, dried fruits, some common Christmas puddings, alcohol, macadamia nuts and various leftovers you might have from your holiday meals.

There are some common leftovers that are okay to give to your dog in small amounts, including turkey meat (with no skin or bones), salmon, lamb meat (no bones), scrambled eggs, green beans, carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, potatoes and more.

Christmas plants

Certain types of plants that make for popular Christmas decorations can be dangerous to dogs as well. Poinsettias are probably the most common of these. The plants can cause some significant mouth and stomach irritation, and occasional vomiting. Holly has relatively low toxicity, but the berries can cause upset stomachs. The same goes for mistletoe berries. With regard to Christmas trees, the dogs might get a mild upset stomach, but what you’d really need to be worried about is internal damage caused by the sharp tips.

Decorations

Any decorations made out of plastic, foil or paper are low toxicity, but could cause stomach obstructions. Be very careful of glass decorations. We would recommend placing potentially dangerous ornaments higher up on the tree.

Wrapping paper can cause staining in the mouth, but is generally low toxicity. Large amounts of wrapping paper can cause stomach obstructions.

Candles are generally low toxicity as well, but can also cause choking or stomach obstructions. Potpourri can cause some significant gastrointestinal distress, so it’s important to keep it out of the reach of your pets.

These are just a few examples of some of the types of potential hazards to dogs you might encounter throughout the Christmas season in Henderson, NV. For more tips and information about how to keep your dogs safe and healthy throughout the holidays, we encourage you to contact our team at The Soggy Dog today. We’d be glad to answer any questions for you!

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