Relaxed and safe holidays for your dog and cat

For many people, Christmas is the best time of the year. But for many animals, the festive season poses a health risk that should not be underestimated, as well as a lot of stress. We give tips on how you can avoid dangers and reduce stress so that dogs, cats and the like can also enjoy this time of year.

No food from the table

Resisting the cute dog eyes and plaintive meows at the dinner table can sometimes be difficult for animal lovers. But you and your guests should definitely stay strong. Most of our dishes are too spicy and greasy for dogs' or cats' palates.

After the sumptuous Christmas dinner, there are often leftover bones from beef, pork or poultry, which some people feed to their animal friends to make them happy. However, this act of animal love comes with some serious risks:

Do not feed poultry bones. They splinter strongly and can quickly injure the tissue in the digestive tract.
Dogs in particular often swallow pieces of bone without chewing. This can lead to a life-threatening intestinal blockage. The piece of bone must then be removed by a vet in an emergency operation.
Poorly chewed larger and sharper pieces of bone can also injure the oesophagus and stomach wall when swallowed. Whether an injury has actually occurred can only be clarified by more complex examinations in the veterinary practice.

If you want to make your furry friend happy, only feed raw bones, preferably from young animals. The older the animal, the greater the risk of the bone splintering.

Toxic foods during the Christmas season

At Christmas, it smells of Christmas cookies, chocolate and roasts from the oven. But be careful: never leave sweets or the roast unattended. This is because chocolate and many spices, which are often found in gingerbread or Christmas cookies, are highly toxic to dogs and cats. If your pet is poisoned, it may be a life-threatening emergency and you should seek immediate veterinary advice.

Chocolate
If your pet has eaten chocolate, take it to the vet. Even a small amount of the alkaloid theobromine, which is contained in cocoa beans, can lead to severe symptoms of poisoning in dogs and cats. Just 20 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram of body weight can lead to adverse effects in dogs and cats. For comparison: dark chocolate with a 90 percent cocoa content contains 26 milligrams of theobromine per gram!
‍Important: this also applies to chocolate hanging on the Christmas tree (often forgotten). It's best to avoid it altogether or hang the chocolate high up on the tree so that your pet can't help themselves.

Nuts and raisins
Nuts, which are often used as a spice powder for gingerbread, mulled wine and roasts during the Christmas season, are highly toxic to dogs and cats even in small quantities.

Nutmegs contain the substances elemicin, myristicin and safrole. These have a hallucinogenic effect and affect the brain and nervous system. Neurological symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, cramps, tremors and even respiratory paralysis can occur.

Other types of nuts commonly used at Christmas, such as walnuts, bitter almonds and macadamia nuts, are also prohibited for four-legged friends due to the risk of poisoning.

Christmas tree decorations

‍Christmastree baubles, tinsel and angel hair give the tree that certain something. But they also harbor dangers for pets. If a dog mistakes a bauble for a toy and puts it in its mouth, it can easily shatter. If a cat swallows tinsel, it risks intestinal obstruction. This also applies to angel hair. In addition, some of these thin, golden decorative threads contain glass wool, which damages the stomach walls if swallowed.
So if you don't want to do without this type of Christmas tree decoration, hang the decorations a little higher up so that they are more difficult for your four-legged friend to reach.

These Christmas plants are poisonous to dogs and cats

Traditional Christmas plants such as amaryllis or mistletoe are part of the Christmas season for many people. They bring anticipation for the holidays and smell wonderful. However, some of these plants are poisonous to dogs and cats. It is therefore essential to keep these plants out of your pet's reach.

Amaryllis
The amaryllis is often used as a Christmas decoration. It consists of a bulb, a thick stem, green leaves and bright pink or red flowers. As beautiful as it is to look at, the plant is highly poisonous to dogs and cats.

Onions in particular contain alkaloids, two grams of which are enough to cause severe symptoms of poisoning in children. The alkaloids lycorine and amelline have an effect on the nervous system. Caranine, acetylcaranine and undulatin, which belong to the same substance class, cause chemical burns and digestive disorders.

Symptoms of poisoning in animals include severe convulsions, vomiting or cardiac arrhythmia. In the worst case, poisoning by an amaryllis can lead to death from heart failure.

Christ's thorn / holly
Christ's thorn grows as a shrub and is a beautiful sight around the festive season. However, the plant contains so-called triterpenes and diterpene esters in its milky sap, which are classified as very toxic for dogs and cats.
They irritate the stomach lining of four-legged friends. Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach problems and colic occur. 20 berries are fatal to dogs. In addition, if the milky juice comes into contact with the animal's eyes, it can temporarily go blind.

Poinsettia
The poinsettia is one of the most popular Christmas decorations among plants. However, the leaves of this plant also contain a whitish milky sap that is poisonous to dogs and cats. If the animals get some of it into their bloodstream, poisoning is manifested by severe irritation of the mucous membranes, diarrhea and gastrointestinal complaints.

Exciting festive season

The Christmas period can be very stressful for your four-legged family members: their usual daily routines are turned upside down by vacation mode and family visits and they feel the excitement of their humans. Therefore, try to maintain as many rituals as possible from your normal daily routine (feeding times, walks, etc.). Your furry friend should also always have somewhere to retreat to. Ideally a room where she can retreat when things get too hectic and where she won't be disturbed, especially by guests.

New Year's Eve

As soon as Christmas is over, the next challenge comes with New Year's Eve. Many dogs and cats are afraid of the flashes of light and the noise of the fireworks. If you can't take your pet to a quiet place without fireworks, these tips can make for a more relaxed New Year:

Always keep your dog on a lead on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, keep walks short if your dog seems stressed or even anxious or panicky.
Keep outdoor cats indoors.
On New Year's Eve, close all windows, shutters and curtains and leave the music on. Some animals can be distracted by the music.
Establish a safe retreat some time in advance and associate it with positive things (food, petting, etc.).
During the festive season, regularly play fireworks with sound on the TV. This allows pets to get used to the sounds and flashes. It also helps to associate the fireworks with positive things (food, cuddles, etc.).
Never leave your furry friend alone. Keep your pet company and reassure it with cuddles and goodies. This will do your pet good and take away their fear.

‍

Sources:
"Every year again": inquiries about popular Advent plantshttps://www.toxinfo.ch/adventspflanzen

‍https://www.peta-schweiz.ch/themen/giftige-lebensmittel-hunde-katzen/