The holidays are a time for family, friends…and frightening situations for our pets! Dangers exist around every corner of the house during the holidays! Plants, presents, lights…and don’t forget that Christmas tree!

Let’s chat about the top 5 dangers for our pets during the holiday season that involve the Christmas tree!

5) Ornaments: Shiny. Reflective. Colorful. Tree ornaments seem like the perfect toy for our pets. Make sure they are out of reach to your pets, located at the top of the Christmas tree. Edible or glass holiday ornaments can be dangerous if ingested. If they can break or if they can be swallowed we can see bleeding from the mouth or even a gastrointestinal blockage. They can also be toxic if they are made with dangerous chemicals go now. So best to make sure they are out of reach and made of safe materials!

4) Tinsel: What else is shiny around the tree? Tinsel! To a cat…Tinsel is the string-like object from the Gods! It is shiny, sparkly, and enticing. If your cat (or dog) ingests tinsel, it can cause a serious intestinal blockage called a linear foreign body. The only way to resolve that…expensive surgery. So like ornaments, if you use tinsel make sure it is well out of reach to your pets.

3) Gifts: What about those fancy, wrapped gifts under the tree? Did someone say ribbon? Ribbon, string, and other decorative wrapping material, like tinsel, can be ingested resulting in a life threatening blockage. Make sure anything on, around, or under the tree is safe…just in case our pets decide the present is really for them!

2) Lights: What would a Christmas tree be without lights? Lights can not only be hot to the touch, resulting in a burn, but cats and dogs find them enticing enough to chew on.

Chewing on the lights or electrical cords themselves can result in severe and life threatening electric shocks and mouth burns. We can see devastating injuries to the mouth as well as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) after dogs and cats bite / chew on wires. So if you are using lights…don’t string the bottom of your tree! Make sure the are well out of reach!

1) The Christmas Tree: And finally…the Christmas tree itself! If you use an artificial tree, make sure it is in good condition. If the tree becomes brittle over time, small pieces of plastic or other material can break off resulting in irritation to the mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestines if ingested. It can also cause a blockage! If you are using a real tree, make sure your pets are not chewing or swallowing the Christmas tree needles as they fall from the tree. These needles can not be digested and may even be toxic! The oils from the tree can irritate your pets mouth and stomach resulting in signs of illness such as drooling, loss of appetite, vomiting, and even a blockage! Finally, as we all want to keep that live tree healthy…make sure the water we use is free of toxic preservatives, pesticides, fertilizers and other agents, such as aspirin. These are common agents we seen in commercial preparations and can be dangerous to our pets.

Let’s make sure to keep the holidays festive…and emergency room visit free!

Knowledge is power!
Garret Pachtinger, VMD, DACVECC
Board Certified Emergency and Critical Care Specialist
Co-Founder, VETgirl