For any of us, Christmas is the time to enjoy, celebrate and have sweet memories together. Of course, as an important member of the family, our dogs will also indulge in this holiday too.
Nevertheless, the festive days will always contain hidden dangers to our little friends. These dangers come in different ways, from poisonous foods to dangerous house plants and more.
This time of the year is often quite dangerous for dogs
Obviously, as a dog owner, you always want your dogs to remain healthy and happy. In order to ensure the pet’s safety, you first need to know what the origin of Christmas dangers is. Let’s join together and reveal the 10 hidden dangers for dogs at Christmas.
The 10 Hidden Hazards for Dogs
The holiday season is usually full of treats we all enjoy, but it is a bad idea to share them with dogs. Chocolate is the first thing we should not give to dogs.
Experts found that chocolate is very toxic to dogs because it contains the chemical theobromine, which is found in caffeine too. Just a small bite can be extremely dangerous to your pet’s safety. Chocolate causes agitation, tremors, hyperexcitability and even problems with the pet’s heart. Darker chocolate means the higher level of theobromine is, hence, more hazardous.
What about white chocolate? There is no theobromine in white chocolate but it is still too fatty, with the risk of pancreatitis.
Since there are lots of dangers, we strongly advise that you keep the chocolate out of your dog’s reach, by all costs. You can put chocolate in high places, off the floor as to prevent your dog from temptation.
2. Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and Raisins are not good for dog health
Another dangerous factor is the product which comes from grapes such as raisins, sultanas and currants. Every small amount of these products can affect the kidney’s function in dogs, which can even cause severe kidney failure.
You should also watch for symptoms to check if your dog happens to ingest grape products, such as nausea, vomiting… If you doubt the case, kindly contact your vet and treats your dog as a poisoning case.
Allium species like garlic, onions, and chives can be very toxic to your dogs, whether cooked or uncooked. In the first place, the symptom can be diarrhea and vomiting. However, the severe effect comes days after ingestion, which causes damage to your dog’s red blood cells, and dangerous anemia goes after.
At the moment, a sugar-free artificial sweetener called xylitol is normally found in the sweets we eat over Christmas. Xylitol also appears in chewing gums, toothpaste and other supplements.
Scientists point out that xylitol is poisonous to dogs, even if the amounts of xylitol vary from product to product. In some cases, one or two small pieces of chewing gum cause severe effects in small dogs.
Furthermore, your dog’s blood pressure can be dropped to dangerous levels. Not only that, artificial sweetener induces the release of insulin, causing low blood sugar and liver damage. The signs depend on the amount your dog ingests, including convulsions, vomiting…
Hence, by any possible method, try keeping your dogs from artificial sweetener products.
5. Human Drinks
There are many dangers that human foods may bring about to your dogs at Christmas, so what about human drinks? In fact, human drinks show no less danger to dogs compared to human foods.
Soft drinks is dangerous for dog
Fruit juice is sugary and can cause weight gain in dogs. Milk, on the other hand, causes vomiting and upset stomachs.
Regarding alcohol, affections in dogs somewhat the same way as us. They include vomiting, dizziness, drowsy and in some severe cases, there is also a high risk of low blood sugar or low body temperature.
Caffeine drinks cause similar risks, which are restlessness and hyperactivity.
Remember that dogs may help themselves to any of these left-over drinks, so be sure to keep drinks off the floor. You can also try putting a full bowl of water to avoid the allurement of human drinks.
6. Christmas Trees and House Plants
For most of us, Christmas is no longer Christmas without Christmas trees or plants such as holly, mistletoe, poinsettia, and ivy. In fact, nothing prettier than a Christmas tree inside your home. However, these plants pose a high risk for your cute dogs.
For example, if your dog ingests pine needles dropped on the floor, it is really a bad circumstance. The needles stuck in your dog’s gum and may cause significant distress, irritate the stomach and gut. These severe cases require help from a vet immediately. Hence, it is recommended to regularly clean the needles.
Assuming there is Christmas tree water, you should make sure that it is well-covered to prevent your pet from drinking this water. It is because Christmas tree water contains hazardous chemicals such as fertilizer or stagnant, thus, very dangerous for animals as well as humans.
Likewise, common festive house plants are not safe for dogs as they are all poisonous plants. They can cause negative effects to your four-legged friend’s mouth and stomach, resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.
Therefore, our advice is to keep these trees and plants out of the dog’s reach using a fence. In order to help you out, we would like to introduce two Christmas tree gates.
Please read more here:
Costzon 204-Inch Safety Gate
Bonnlo Free Standing Gates
7. Christmas Decorations
Ornaments are very appealing to your dog and they also bring about lots of risks. Imagine broken glass ornaments on the floor and your pet plays on it, how terrible that case could be? In the same way, plastic ornaments if ingested can harm the intestinal tract and you will need a vet immediately.
Moreover, edible tree decoration poses a similar threat, with a tasty smell. Our advice is to move these tree decorations to the top of the tree so your dog can’t touch them easily.
On the other hand, string lights are also danger decorations to consider in your home. They usually have electrical wires wrapped in a thin plastic coating that can be chewed quite easily, resulting in electrocution. Hence, be sure to keep these wires covered thickly.
Some dog Christmas decorations you can consider:
GOOSH 5 ft Long Indoor Outdoor Yard Garden Christmas Decoration
Christmas Dog Garland
TOOL GADGET 4-Pack Merry Christmas Decorative Deer Pillow Covers
AerWo 2 Pcs Pet Dog Christmas Stockings
8. Dog Christmas Presents
You know your dog best, there is no doubt about it. Thus, when you choose a present for your pet, consider any allergies or intolerances that your pet has.
Some dog Christmas edible gifts are healthier than others if they have natural ingredients with few or no preservatives. Kindly favor those over artificial ingredients that can pose a choking hazard.
Regarding dog Christmas presents, you should ensure that they don’t have removable parts that can be chewed and swallowed easily. The material they used must be sturdy enough to suffer the most powerful chewing. Besides, the toy you choose should not be too small because your dog can swallow them in no time, which causes serious harm to your dog.
Do you have difficulty choosing a Christmas present for your dog? Don’t worry, we are here to help you with an excellent gift.
More information can be found here: The Pet Qwerks Dinosaur BarkBone.
9. Open Flames
Flames will light your home and bring about coziness at Christmas. However, they are also hidden dangers for both you and your dog.
Burning candles can cause disasters pretty fast. It takes no more than one wagging tail to knock a burning candle onto the floor and risk a house fire. If you have to lit them, you should ensure that your dogs have no access to the candles, by any means.
Unlit candles are also an appeal to dogs and will cause ailment if eaten. Whether lit or not, kindly keep any candles away from your four-legged friend on high places such as tables or shelves.
Furthermore, if you have a fireplace, use a screen to prevent your dog from getting singed. It is essential to supervise your dog all times around open flames.
10. Cold Weather
Last but not by any means least, we should consider the extremely cold weather at Christmas. Dogs can get cold just like humans do. Therefore, you should let your pet indoors or provide an outdoor shelter with maximum protection and warmth from the harsh temperature.
In this case, we strongly recommend using two high-quality products below, which can satisfy your four-legged buddy.
Please check here:
Pet Tent Soft Bed
Petsfit Weatherproof Outdoor House
Hidden dangers for dogs at Christmas are serious and they come in any form, from poisonous foods to Christmas decorations, from drinks to dog’s gifts. As dogs are not aware of those potential dangers, it is your responsibility to protect your little friend and to make Christmas truly Christmas.
With some hazards and advise we provided, we believe you can deal with some problems and help your dog avoid getting sick or getting harm. You can also try the products above, we believe you will not regret choosing them.
Merry Dogs and Christmas!
