The gifts are organised, the house is beautifully decorated and the planning for the Christmas dinner has already begun – but have you thought about all the arrangements for your pet? Whether an open cookie tray or a decorated Christmas tree, there are many dangers lurking for your four-legged companion during this time of year. We have put together some tips for you so that you can enjoy the Christmas season with your pet.

Dangerous food

While we can enjoy freshly baked cookies and delicious food, they are often a source of danger for pets. It is best to expel your pet from the kitchen and cover all cookie trays and trash cans properly so that nothing can be removed from them. The following foods are particularly dangerous:

• Biscuits
  Sugar, nuts and chocolate are the main ingredients for biscuits. However, these ingredients can cause vomiting, fever, shortness of breath and cramps in pets. Chocolate can even be fatal.
• Cinnamon
  The coumarin contained in cinnamon can lead to blood clotting in pets and thus to local mucous membrane irritation, vomiting or drowsiness.
• Raisins
  Raisins, but also grapes, are extremely poisonous for pets! They can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea or even kidney failure in pets, which can lead to death after three to four days.
• Nutmeg
  What is a special spice for us can lead to tremors and cramps or even death in pets.
• Gingerbread
  Due to the high cocoa content of gingerbread, eating it can lead to vomiting, pulse acceleration, cramps, breathing difficulties, poisoning or even death.

Dangerous decorations

What would Christmas be without lavish decorations? From little lights and garlands to nativity plays and ornaments for the Christmas tree – the possibilities are almost unlimited. But even there caution is advised!

• Wrapping paper & ribbons
  When it comes to unwrapping gifts, it can’t go fast enough. Wrapping paper and ribbons, however, pose a great risk of suffocation for the pet. So it’s always a good idea to put them away right away.
• Christmas ornaments
  These do not actually pose any great danger unless they are made of glass. With glass ornaments there is the danger that they fall down and the pets can injure themselves because of the fine fragments of glass.
• Candles
  Candles should never burn unattended. Within seconds your pet can knock over a candle and make the sofa or curtains burn or even burn itself extremely! Because fur is just as easily inflammable as the human hair.
• Small decorative elements
  Decorations often contain plastic and metal, which can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and breathing difficulties if swallowed. It is therefore important to place such elements as high up as possible or, even better, to completely avoid them.
• Sprayed snow
  As beautiful as it may look, it is also dangerous for pets. Even in small quantities, spray snow can be extremely toxic for your pet.

If nevertheless an accident should happen and your pet shows complaints, consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. If the veterinarian is on holiday, the animal emergency service can also help.