Christmas and pets 2026: foods and hazards to keep away (UK)

Call your vet straight away, even if your pet seems fine. Some poisons, like grapes and raisins, take hours to show, and treatment works best early. Tell the vet what your pet ate, roughly how much and when, and keep the packaging. Out of hours, call your vet's emergency number.

Don't try to make your pet sick, and don't give them salt water, the RSPCA says.

If you can't reach a vet, Animal PoisonLine, run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, gives owners advice 24 hours a day on 01202 509000. It charges £35 to £45 a call.

• Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats, and dark chocolate is the most dangerous. Watch out for chocolate tree decorations and selection boxes under the tree. A study of 229 UK vet practices found dogs were nearly five times as likely to be seen for eating chocolate at Christmas as at other times of the year, and twice as likely at Easter.
• Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can cause kidney failure in dogs, even in small amounts. That includes mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake.
• Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives damage the red blood cells of dogs and cats, even when cooked, so keep stuffing and gravy away from them.
• Xylitol, a sweetener in some sugar-free sweets, gum and bakes, can be life-threatening for dogs (a risk at Halloween too).
• Cooked bones, including turkey bones, can splinter and cause choking or internal injuries.
• Alcohol is dangerous for pets, even in small amounts.
• Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs. Not sure about something else? Look it up in our free is it poisonous checker.

• Lilies are highly toxic to cats (at Easter too): the RSPCA says every part of the plant can cause life-threatening kidney failure, and to see a vet straight away even if your cat has only touched the pollen. Keep them out of any home with a cat.
• Holly, mistletoe and poinsettia can make pets unwell if they chew them.
• Tinsel, ribbon and string can cause dangerous blockages if swallowed. Cats love to play with them, so keep an eye out.
• Batteries from new toys and gadgets, and glass baubles, are dangerous if chewed.
• Salt dough decorations can make a dog very ill if eaten: the salt can cause vomiting and dangerously high sodium levels, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center warns.

With guests coming and going, it's easy for a dog or cat to slip out unnoticed. Give your pet a quiet room to retreat to, keep the front door closed, and check their collar, ID tag and microchip details are up to date before the holidays start. If one does get out, our guides to a lost dog and a lost cat have the steps.

New Year's Eve fireworks are a risk too. Our fireworks guide covers how to keep pets calm and safe.

A PetTag makes a useful stocking filler for anyone with a dog or cat. It's from £10 with free UK delivery, and they set up the pet's profile themselves in about a minute.