Christmas is a great time of the year. A time where we come together to celebrate, exchange gifts, wear silly jumpers and the time where it is compulsory to consume as much food and drink as we want. Most people celebrate Christmas by putting up a Christmas tree in the house. Whilst having a Christmas tree is a lovely idea, we do have to watch for the hazards that come with having a tree. Let’s have a look through some of the hazards that come with a Christmas tree when you have dogs.

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The Christmas tree

There are two types of Christmas trees, a real one or an artificial (“fake”)one. Either type can pose a risk if your dog is likely to chew. Chewing the branches of a fake or real Christmas tree could cause an intestinal blockage as they are solid. Although the risk is small, it is still a real concern if you have a chewing dog. Eating the fake needles off a branch could also cause a blockage or gastrointestinal irritation. 

With real trees almost invariably pine, fir and spruce, it’s important to remember that these conifers produce oils which if eaten could cause gastrointestinal upset, like vomiting and diarrhoea. As real trees also drop their needles, this could also pose a problem for paws, as they are sharp, they could get stuck in your dog’s paw and cause a foreign body – or just make them really footsore before the post-Christmas lunch walk! 

Real Christmas trees require watering otherwise they die off and begin to lose their needles. Some dogs (and even cats) may smell that there is water under the tree and begin to drink it, if they can access it. This water may be toxic for your dog if they drink it: it could contain tree sap, preservatives and bacteria. Try covering your tree stand so the water cannot be drunk. Or, to avoid any of these problems – don’t allow your pet in the room with the tree unsupervised! If for any reason this isn’t possible then try to put the tree high up.

Tree decorations

Some pets may not bother with the Christmas tree whilst others may think it’s their new toy. It is even more fun when it has decorations on… Playful dogs especially may be very interested in playing with the baubles, they may think the tree is covered in endless tennis balls! 

Anything that is placed on the tree is a hazard for pets chewing. Tinsel is quite a popular decoration. Whilst this isn’t toxic it can when chewed get stuck in your dog’s throat, teeth and stomach. Fairy lights also pose a hazard, they leave endless trails of wire which if you have a playful dog, they could think this is amazing and chew the wire. Try to keep any wire hidden as much as possible, don’t leave trails of it around your Christmas tree, not only because it could give an electric shock if chewed but it can also cause a foreign body if swallowed. 

Edible ornaments

Some of us may put edible ornaments on our tree. The most common being chocolate and candy canes – both of which are often toxic to dogs. Candy canes frequently contain a product called xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar substitute, an artificial sweetener that dogs really do not cope with. In dogs, xylitol can cause low blood sugar, vomiting, weakness, tremors, seizures, lack of coordination and liver failure. With the amount of xylitol differing in each product there isn’t a certain amount they can eat until toxic, even the smallest of amounts could be damaging.

Another common edible ornament is a chocolate coin, or any form of chocolate, hanging on the tree. Chocolate is very tasty for a dog but again is toxic for them. Chocolate contains a product called theobromine. Dogs cannot metabolise theobromine making it toxic. The symptoms of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhoea, drinking more than normal, panting, shaking, high temperature, high blood pressure and in worst cases it can cause seizures and heart failure. 

Not only is the chocolate and the actual candy cane a problem if they eat them but what about the wrapper around them? Ideally, we don’t want our dogs eating this either as it can also cause stomach upset and a foreign body. If you do want to put edible ornaments on the tree then just be aware that your dog may try and eat them, so always supervise them, or don’t put them on the tree. 

So, to the big question – can your dog sniff out tasty presents under the tree?

A dog’s sense of smell

Did you know a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 better than humans’! How good their sense of smell is does also depend on the breed but still it is much better than ours. An interesting fact is that the part of their brain that analyses the smell is 40 times greater than ours. So should we be worried about those presents under the tree?

So, are presents safe under the tree?

Some dogs may not even bother chewing or playing with the Christmas tree which is just great! One less thing to worry about but do always keep an eye on them. While they may not bother with the tree, they may be very interested in whatever is under the tree. 

And yes – when gifts are wrapped up, they can still smell what is in there no matter how much wrapping you use. Some of us may wrap up chocolate, sweets or other edibles. Of course, that’s fine – but are you then going to put this under the tree? The risk with this is, your dog will smell it, and will they try to eat it? Almost certainly if they’re feeling hungry/greedy enough!

Along with trying to eat the food, the wrapping and ribbon pose another foreign body risk if eaten. We do like to give our dogs Christmas presents too, sometimes these could be toys or dog treats. Again, your dog can smell these and wrapping them up and putting them under the tree is a risk. 

So, are any presents safe? 

I think it depends on the individual dog. Some dogs are good and won’t touch things like presents, whilst young puppies, playful dogs, or chewers are likely to be very interested. No two dogs are the same so there is no saying on what they will do. So it’s probably best to ensure supervised access to the tree only, at least until all the presents are unwrapped and packed away!

The moral of the story

Christmas is a fun time of the year. The last thing we want is any trips to the vets. The ideal solution would be to keep those presents that contain food away from the Christmas tree, so we aren’t putting our dogs at risk. If you want to put chocolate and sweets on the tree then place them very high up so your dog cannot reach them or leave them off the tree, this would be the sensible solution. Gate off your Christmas tree or don’t allow your dog into that room. If at any point your dog eats any wrapping, ribbon, chocolate or sweets, always contact your local vets immediately for advice and treatment.

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