We’re all for pets joining their people for some well-deserved seasonal festivities! However, we’d like to remind all pet owners about a few common Christmas toxins and how you can keep your pet safe and merry.

Chocolate

If you’ll be passing around the choccies this holiday season, ensure you keep them well out of reach from your pet. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine (with darker types of chocolate containing the highest amounts), which humans can metabolise safely, but pets cannot.

Depending on the amount of chocolate (and theobromine), a pet has eaten, they can develop symptoms including:

• Vomiting
• Tummy pain
• Restlessness, excitability, muscle tremors or seizures
• Wobbliness
• Fast heart rate or abnormal heart rhythms, which can prove fatal

Sultanas

Sultanas, (commonly found in mince pies and Christmas pudding) and grapes can be highly poisonous to dogs and cats, but they are unpredictable toxins in terms of how much of the product needs to be eaten to cause issues in a particular pet.

This toxicity can cause tummy upset and (potentially fatal) kidney damage, leading the pet to develop symptoms such as:

• Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Lethargy
• Tummy pain
• Increased thirst and urination, sometimes followed by an absence of urine production

Onion and garlic

The most common seasonal source of onion and garlic is turkey stuffing, although chives and leeks also contain the same toxic compounds. Toxicity can occur from the pet eating one large quantity of onion or garlic, or from repeated small amounts.

This poisoning can cause gut upset in pets (with associated vomiting, diarrhoea, and tummy pain), but can also cause destruction of their red blood cells, leading to symptoms of anaemia within several days, such as:

• Lethargy
• Weakness
• Pale gums
• A fast heart rate
• Increased breathing effort
• Darker urine colour

Macadamia nuts

Often found in baked goods, nut mixes, or chocolates, macadamia nuts can be poisonous to dogs.

Macadamia toxicity can cause symptoms including:

• Hindlimb weakness
• Muscle pain
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Fever

Xylitol

Have you heard of xylitol? This is a sweetener used in some “sugar free” or “diabetic friendly” lollies, chewing gums, or baked goods.

This toxin can unfortunately take effect rapidly, causing a dangerous drop in blood sugar, and then potentially fatal liver failure, depending on the dose eaten. Affected pets can show a variety of symptoms, including:

• Changes in behaviour ranging from lethargy to unconsciousness
• Weakness or wobbliness
• Seizures
• Vomiting

What should you do if you suspect your pet may have eaten a toxic food?

If you believe that your pet has eaten something toxic, it’s best to phone our team or the Animal Poisons Helpline as soon as possible for further advice. If possible, try to have the packet of whatever your pet may have eaten close to hand, so you can answer questions about the exact type of product involved and the rough quantities your pet may have ingested.

For chocolate ingestion, it can also be helpful to consult a chocolate toxicity calculator.

Quick action is crucial for successfully treating many poisonings, so it’s best to act fast.

For more information on toxic substances for pets, consult our helpful team. We’ll do our best to keep Christmas merry for all our pet patients and owners!