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Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for many people. But for our four-legged friends, Advent and the festive season can bring a few hazards. We’ll show you what to look out for over the holidays so you can enjoy a safe and happy Christmas with your dog.
Celebrating a Safe & Happy Christmas with Your Dog
For dog owners, the Advent and Christmas period can be a real challenge. This is especially true if your dog is still very young and/or curious and wants to investigate all the unusual things that appear around the home at Christmas.
But don’t worry: if you follow the simple precautions outlined below, (almost) nothing can go wrong. That way, you can relax and look forward to this special time, enjoying the festive season to the full with your four-legged friend.
Lit Candles: Always Out of Reach
What would an Advent wreath be without candles? During the darker months, the cosy glow of candlelight is simply part of the atmosphere. Most dogs tend to keep their distance from a flickering flame.
Even so, candles should never be placed within your dog’s reach.
How to Reduce the Risk
If you don’t want to miss out on real candles at Christmas with your dog, make sure they are positioned well out of reach.
Candles on the coffee table are off limits. What’s more, they should never be left burning if your dog is unattended in the room.
If you’d prefer to play it extra safe, you can of course opt for artificial LED lights instead of real candles. They can’t drip wax, cause burns or start a fire.
If Something Does Happen
If your dog burns themselves on a candle despite all precautions, cool the affected area with lukewarm water (please not ice-cold!).
Burn ointments or wound powders should not be used on dogs.
The full extent of burns in dogs often only becomes apparent much later, for example if tissue in a larger area of skin starts to die. You should therefore always have your dog checked by a vet even for minor burns.
Real candles are dangerous. For your dog’s sake, it’s better to opt for LED lights instead.
Making Your Christmas Tree Dog-Proof
As beautiful as a brightly decorated Christmas tree looks, celebrating Christmas with a dog means it can pose several risks. These shouldn’t be underestimated. In particular, puppies can sometimes have painful encounters with lights, glass baubles and the like.
Christmas Decorations
The risk of injury is especially high with broken baubles. They can easily fall from the branches if a curious dog investigates the tree with an enthusiastic wag of the tail.
Cuts to your dog’s paws or even inside the mouth are not only very painful but can also become dangerously infected.
You should also take the risk posed by tinsel seriously. This traditional Christmas decoration, which often contains lead, can cause a dangerous intestinal blockage in your dog if swallowed.
Securing the Tree
You should also take care with the tree stand. After all, you need to make sure the tree doesn’t topple over just because your dog gives it a sniff.
In addition, the water in the tree stand must be kept out of your dog’s reach. It may contain substances released by the tree that could be harmful to your four-legged friend.
Beware of Electric Shocks
Fairy lights aren’t entirely risk-free either. Out of curiosity or boredom, your dog might pick them up in their mouth.
This could result in an electric shock, which can even be life-threatening.
Christmas with Your Dog: What to Do in an Emergency?
The sound of a smashing bauble or even the whole tree falling over can certainly give us humans a fright.
Even so, stay calm and first move your dog to safety. Only then should you deal with the broken glass on the floor and put the tree back upright.
If your dog has been injured by a broken bauble, calm them down first and then tend to the wound:
Start by stopping the bleeding, clean the wound with clear, clean water and, if necessary, carefully trim the fur around it.
Use a disinfectant spray to clean the cut. If a shard is still lodged in the paw, try to remove it carefully with tweezers.
Apply a paw bandage and, if possible, take your dog to the vet as soon as you can. Even small cuts on the paws carry a high risk of infection.
Dangerous Christmas Treats for Dogs
It’s not just us humans who are tempted by colourful plates of chocolate, sweet biscuits and nuts at Christmas – many dogs can’t resist either.
Chocolate is Toxic for Dogs
For dogs, eating chocolate can be life-threatening.
The theobromine found in milk and dark chocolate is poisonous to animals and can have devastating effects on the body. It can lead to seizures, high blood pressure or heart problems in dogs.
How to Reduce the Risk of Poisoning
The symptoms of chocolate poisoning (depending on the amount eaten and the cocoa content) range from diarrhoea in dogs and vomiting in dogs to painful seizures and trembling, and can even lead to unconsciousness or death.
Never leave chocolate lying around. Store sweets only in well-sealed tins or boxes and avoid leaving “treat plates” on the dining or coffee table.
What Should I Do if My Dog Has Eaten Chocolate?
As a general rule: the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is for your pet. The smaller your dog, the more severe the consequences can be.
If you notice that your dog has eaten a larger amount of chocolate, you should contact a vet.
Only they can treat the poisoning in dogs with the necessary measures, such as inducing vomiting, performing a gastric lavage or administering activated charcoal.
Watch those Christmas treats. Chocolate is toxic to dogs.
Watch Out for Toxic Christmas Plants and Scents
A poinsettia on the table, a sprig of mistletoe above the door or a festive arrangement with Christmas roses – for many people, these plants are simply part of the festive season.
If your dog swallows a fallen sprig of mistletoe or part of a poinsettia, they may suffer severe poisoning symptoms such as diarrhoea and strong seizures. Even contact with poinsettia leaves alone can cause unpleasant skin irritation.
Scented oils used in small bowls to create a festive aroma in the air can also trigger painful gastrointestinal problems.
If a curious dog drinks this scented oil, it can lead not only to diarrhoea and vomiting but also to irritation of the mucous membranes or even poisoning.
Do I Need to Steer Clear of Mistletoe and Similar Plants?
If you’d like to keep traditions such as hanging mistletoe despite having a dog, make sure these plants are placed or attached well out of reach. Bowls of scented oil should also be positioned safely at a sufficient height.
You should also take care with other festive decorations. Artificial spray snow on windows, which is very popular, can cause breathing difficulties in dogs even in small amounts.
Christmas with your Dog: Responding Correctly to Contact with Toxic Plants
If you’ve seen your dog eat a poisonous plant, you can give them charcoal tablets, which should be part of every dog owner’s first aid kit.
The rule is: the sooner the activated charcoal comes into contact with the plant toxin in the stomach, the more effectively it can bind it.
If some time has already passed since the plant was swallowed and the first signs of poisoning such as seizures, circulatory weakness or breathing difficulties appear, your dog must be taken to the vet immediately.
Stay Consistent – Even at Christmas
A delicious festive meal is as much a part of Christmas as the tree and the presents. But while the family sit at the table enjoying all the tasty dishes, your dog sits beside them with big eyes, begging.
Admittedly, it can be hard to stay firm. In the festive spirit, and out of misplaced sympathy, a small piece of the Christmas roast can all too easily find its way to your four-legged friend.
However, this does neither you nor your dog any favours. All too often, this “one-off exception” ends up with a trip to the veterinary clinic. Human food is usually far too heavily seasoned for dogs and can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems.
What Should I Give my Dog for Christmas?
Poultry bones from goose or turkey roast don’t belong in your dog’s bowl either. Especially when cooked, they can splinter easily and cause serious internal injuries.
If you’d like to treat your dog, opt instead for homemade dog biscuits, shop-bought dog treats or a dog chew bone.
Your four-legged friend can happily chew on treats specially made for dogs while the family enjoy their festive meal.
Animals have accompanied me for as long as I can remember - there is hardly a child's photo without a budgie on my head or a cat on my lap. For more than ten years, I have been writing as an editor about various topics ranging from health insurance to cat ownership. Always with me: my cat Mimi, who is the best source of inspiration for many texts and knows when it's time for a break from writing.
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