South West families urged to keep our homes pet-proof this festive period
The British Veterinary Association is urging us to be careful over Christmas and New Year's - and keep pets away from potentially toxic items
As the 'Twixmas season is now officially in full swing, many of us will be thinking about the leftovers from Christmas and Boxing Day and what to do with them.
Well, animal lovers across the South West are being urged to think twice about giving those leftovers to our pets, and to make sure our homes stay pet-safe throughout the festive period.
The warning comes as new research from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) reveals four in five companion animal vets in the South West saw at least one case of toxic ingestion over the 2021 Christmas period.
The BVA's message
The festive season brings with it presents, decorations and yummy festive food - and with the main festivities over, many of us probably forget about the rules about food, decorations... and their impact on our pets.
However, these seemingly innocent pleasures - including some foods, as well as the culprits of broken items and even tinsel - can be deadly if eaten by animals.
Chocolate, raisins and other dried fruit – such as that in mince pies or Christmas puddings - onion, garlic, xylitol in sugar-free products and seasonal decorations like mistletoe and holly can all be dangerous, and even fatal, to dogs and cats if eaten.
New Voice of the Veterinary Profession research shows that thousands of vets across the UK treated dogs for toxic ingestion last Christmas season.
In the South West, 78% saw cases of chocolate poisoning and 73% saw dogs taken unwell after easing raisins or sultanas. Fifteen per cent reported seeing cases caused by the artificial sweetener Xylitol, 15% saw cases related to human medication, 12% saw cases caused by eating onions or garlic and ten per cent by spring bulbs such as daffodils.
Foreign body ingestion in dogs was also common over the 2021 festive period.
In the South West, ten per cent of vets saw cases related to food or food waste, seven per cent saw cases caused by gifts for pets while five per cent saw cases caused by Christmas decorations, clothing or accessorises and gifts for humans, including small parts of children’s toys.
More than a quarter of vets (27%) saw cases of toxic ingestion in cats.
In the South West, cats were most likely to have ingested non-food items such as seasonal plants like holly or mistletoe (reported by 20% of vets). Thirteen per cent of vets saw cats with foreign body ingestion across the UK, with seven per cent of vets in the South West highlighting cases caused by Christmas decorations.
British Veterinary Association President Malcolm Morley said: “Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year but not if you end up with a poorly pet. Being vigilant and taking a few key precautions is all that is needed to keep your pets happy and healthy over the festive period.
“Keep all edible items, decorations and anything else a pet may mistake for a tasty treat out of their reach to help prevent avoidable emergency visits to the vet. We also advise keeping pets to their normal diets and avoiding feeding them any human food. If you are concerned your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have, do contact your vet as soon as possible.”
The BVA's Junior Vice President, Anna Judson, said: "I've seen many cases of chocolate ingestion by animals, and that can happen at any time of the year, but Christmas and Easter are the peak times that we see it - sometimes with animals coming back more than once during the festive period.
"This can especially happen at this time of year as households welcome in visitors to their homes, and people can easily misplace a couple of sweets near to the ground which can then be snuffled-up by our furry friends.
"I've also seen plenty of cases of animals with cut paws and pads from broken decorations, and of pancreatitis when a pet has eaten fatty foods. We have to remember that many dogs and cats are much smaller than us, so what looks like a small treat can actually be quite big in proportion to the animal.
"What I'd say is stick to your regular food and make sure to keep everything else out of reach - especially at this time of year. That way, we can keep our animals happy and healthy, and it means we can hopefully save pet owners a bit of money, too."
The BVA's top tips
- Protect your pet from poisons
- Keep decorations out of reach
- Forget festive food for pets
- Keep away the bones
- Know where to go
Festive treats and traditions, which many of us might think to be harmful, can actually cause a lot of harm to a pet. Those include foods such as chocolate in advent calendars and sweets, raisins, xylitol (found in sugar-free treats), nuts, grapes, liquorice, poinsettia, holly and mistletoe - all of these are toxic to cats and dogs.
Ribbons, wrapping paper, baubles, tinsel and tree lights can seem like appealing playthings to cats and dogs but can be very dangerous if broken, chewed or swallowed. Batteries may cause severe chemical burns to the mouth, throat and stomach if they're ingested too - so make sure to keep these well out of reach of our furry friends.
Fatty foods and Christmas dinners shouldn’t be shared with the animals of the household as they can trigger sickness and diarrhoea or other conditions from gastroenteritis to pancreatitis. Too much can also lead to obesity.
Cooked bones, including turkey bones, should not be given to pets as they can splinter and puncture the digestive tract.
Animal accidents and emergencies can still happen, though! Make sure you’re prepared by checking your vet’s emergency cover provision and holiday opening hours or, if you are away from home, use the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Find a Vet facility.
For more information on pets and poisons, download Animal Welfare Foundation’s free Pets and Poisons leaflet.
You can find out more about the British Veterinary Association here.