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Christmas & Holiday Dog Safety: Plants, Foods, Decorations
Poinsettia is overrated, mistletoe isn't: the real December risk list, from fruitcake to tinsel to tree water.
December combines new plants, new foods, new decorations and disrupted routines, and poison-control call volume shows it. The good news: the famous villain (poinsettia) is overrated, and the real dangers are a short, learnable list.
Holiday plants, corrected for reputation
- Poinsettia, wildly overrated as a danger: mild drooling and stomach upset at worst.
- Mistletoe and holly: the genuinely risky ones; berries and leaves cause real GI and, in quantity, heart effects.
- Amaryllis: the bulb especially.
- Christmas tree water: stagnant, sometimes preservative-treated; block access if your dog drinks it.
- Lilies in holiday bouquets: mild for dogs, lethal for any cats in the house.
The food traps of December
- Chocolate everywhere: advent calendars, stocking chocolate, boxes under the tree (dogs find wrapped chocolate by smell).
- Fruitcake and stollen, raisin-dense, sometimes rum-soaked: two toxins per slice.
- Macadamias in cookie tins and party mixes.
- The eggnog and cocktail table: alcohol at tail height.
- Sugar-free gum and mints in guests' coats and purses: xylitol on the coat rack.
Decoration hazards vets actually see
- Tinsel and ribbon: linear foreign bodies, a surgical emergency when swallowed.
- Glass ornaments at tail height; salt-dough ornaments (salt toxicity, they're mostly salt).
- Light cords: chewing puppies and electrical burns.
- Batteries in new toys and remotes: chewed button cells burn the esophagus.
Animal poison control: 24/7
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
More DogSafe guides
Sources: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center; Pet Poison Helpline. This page is a general reference and not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog is in distress, contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately.