Chocolate is one of the major risk factors during the Christmas season for dogs, as it contains the substance theobromine, which can be toxic to the animals.
The Christmas ham is also a risk factor, it has a lot of fat and salt in it which is not good in large quantities for the dog’s stomach. Sometimes animals have also ingested the net that sits on the Christmas ham.
— Try to think about where you place things somewhere in the room. For example, I remove the chairs at the dining table so my dogs can’t reach them, says Sandra Douglas, chief veterinarian at Anicura.
Other dangers that the dog should not ingest are nuts with shells – can get stuck in the intestine, onions – contain allicin which is toxic to dogs, leavening doughs – can cause alcohol poisoning, raisins and grapes – can cause acute kidney failure.
Paper and decorations
Christmas wrapping paper, plastic strings, Christmas decorations are other things that can cause damage if the dog chews on them.
Plants pose a particular danger to cats during Christmas. Archive image.
For cats, plants can be a scourge. Among other things, poinsettias, amaryllis, hyacinths, mistletoe and cut flowers are dangerous for the kitty.
“Cats have come in that have tasted Christmas flowers and hyacinths that are already in the homes,” says Patrik Olsson, business area manager for pets at Agria.
The Christmas tree is a risk in itself – if the cat climbs up the tree, it can topple over with injuries to the animal as a result. A really sturdy Christmas tree base reduces the risk.
Fire in the whiskers
— Even candles are especially dangerous for cats. Many cats climb and are good at getting everywhere, but suddenly a tail can hit a candle and the fur can start to burn, says Sandra Douglas.
During the pandemic, many people got pets, and this can be seen in injuries to dogs and cats during the weekends.
“We are prepared for an increase this year as there are more dogs and cats in Sweden than before,” says Patrik Olsson.