Holiday Hazards Pet Safety

Shaela Pizzulo
2 days ago
3 min read

Keep your Aurora pets safe this holiday season with tips on toxic plants, decorations, and festive foods from Care Fur Pawz

Holiday celebrations in Aurora, Colorado bring fun, warmth, and a lot of tempting sights and smells for pets, but they also introduce serious seasonal hazards. Keeping dogs and cats safe around toxic plants, decorations, and festive foods helps prevent emergency vet visits and keeps the holidays happy for everyone.

Toxic Holiday Plants

Many classic holiday plants can upset a pet’s stomach or, in some cases, cause life‑threatening illness. Even “mildly toxic” plants can still lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and discomfort.

Common risky plants include poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, amaryllis, azaleas, lilies, yew, and some live Christmas trees and wreath greens. These can irritate the mouth and gut, cause heart or neurologic signs, or in the case of lilies, trigger kidney failure in cats.

Safer choices include Christmas cactus, some orchids, and many non‑toxic evergreens, but they can still cause mild stomach upset if chewed. Keep all plants out of reach, clean up fallen leaves and berries quickly, and call your veterinarian or a pet poison hotline immediately if your pet nibbles something questionable.

For a comprehensive list of plants that are toxic to dogs and cats, click here.

Dangerous Decorations

Holiday décor looks like toys to many pets, especially younger dogs and curious cats. Ornaments, tinsel, ribbon, string lights, and gift wrap can all be swallowed and cause choking or dangerous blockages in the intestines. Glass ornaments and broken bulbs can cut mouths and paws, and chewing electrical cords may lead to burns or electric shock.

Tree water can also be a problem, especially if it contains fertilizer or has been sitting for days, allowing bacteria to grow. Use cord covers, skip tinsel, place fragile ornaments higher on the tree, and supervise pets around decorations, using baby gates or closed doors when you cannot watch them.

Festive Foods That Can Harm Pets

Holiday feasts bring many foods that are unsafe or even toxic to pets. Common culprits include chocolate, alcohol, rich and fatty foods (like gravy, skin, and pan drippings), xylitol‑sweetened baked goods, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, and some nuts. These can cause anything from stomach upset and pancreatitis to life‑threatening poisoning, seizures, or organ damage.

Even “safe” foods can become risky when they are very rich, heavily seasoned, or fed in large amounts. Keep trash securely covered, ask guests not to feed table scraps, and prepare a few pet‑safe treats so your furry family members are included without being put at risk.

When To Seek Emergency Help

Contact a veterinarian or the pet poison helpline right away if your pet eats a toxic plant, chews decorations or cords, or gets into holiday food or alcohol. Signs like repeated vomiting or diarrhea, weakness, tremors, trouble breathing, or acting very “off” are emergencies and should be seen as soon as possible.

For Care Fur Pawz clients in Aurora, Colorado, this is also something to discuss in your pet’s care notes so sitters know what plants, décor, and foods are in the home and can monitor your pets closely during visits.

Hire A Dog Walker & Pet Sitter This Holiday Season!

Looking for a pet sitter or dog walker? Then, look no further than Care Fur Pawz convenient and reliable pet care. We are an in-home pet sitting and dog walking business located in the Aurora, Colorado area. We offer a wide variety of in-home pet sitting, dog walking, and dog training services.

For more information about our pet sitting & dog walking services, check out our website by clicking here or give us a call at 720-500-7299. We look forward to meeting you and your furry friends!