Top 10 hazards to watch out for with your pets at Christmas time are:
- Swallowing tinsel or Christmas wrapping
- Eating Christmas chocolates – they can be poisonous to pets in large amounts
- Swallowing toys and getting them stuck inside, necessitating surgical removal
- Eating or licking festive plants such as Poinsettia and holly which can cause stomach problems; be especaily careful with lilies and yew which can be fatal
- Eating human food – turkey bones can choke pets and a lot of Christmas treats are too rich for animals and can cause upset tummies. Grapes and raisins found in mince pies and Christmas cake can be poisonous to some dogs.
- Crackers, party poppers and champagne corks which can spook animals and cause blockages if swallowed
- Pets licking up salt from the road or anti-freeze, both of which can be dangerous
- Chewing through the wire to the fairy lights
- Pets falling into icy ponds and getting cold outside
- Cats climbing into engines to escape from the cold and suffering burns
