Sheffield vet warns pet owners keep chocolate and festive treats out of reach this Christmas

Cat Henstridge, aged 44, said she would never keep chocolates under the tree, put advent calendars near pets - or even buy certain snow globes.

The veterinary surgeon from Sheffield said: "Place your advent calendars out of reach of your pets!

"It's the most common Christmas-related illness we as vets see - and every year, it seems there are more and more chocolates in them.

"As a general rule of thumb, the darker and posher the chocolates, the more cocoa concentrated and dangerous it is.

"If eaten, chocolate can lead to dangerously high heart rates, diarrhoea and vomiting."

Along the same lines, Cat described how she would refrain from decorating her tree with chocolate baubles and "avoid putting them under the tree" as gifts.

"The main way to prevent poisoning is for us to make the guilty pet sick, which leaves them feeling rubbish," she said.

"It's even worse when there are two dogs involved, but only one culprit; they both have to be sick because you don't know who’s done the deed!"

In the list of prohibited festive foods, mince pies, gravy, stuffing and Christmas cake are also forbidden.

She added: "Stuffing contains garlic and onions which are toxic and can make your dogs anemic, as a result of low level of healthy red blood cells.

"Whereas, mince pies and Christmas cake may contain raisins - which can cause potential kidney damage - and their ingredients are incredibly calorific.

"For safer alternatives, I'd recommend lean turkey and cooked vegetables that are not slathered in butter."

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, Cat pointed out the lesser-known festive items that can cause harm.

"I would avoid certain snow globes as some contain an antifreeze liquid," she said.

"All it takes is for that one curious cat to pat it off the windowsill and then your floors are covered in the toxic stuff.

"Antifreeze tends to be quite sweet and so it's something pets may be keen to lick.

"However, even a small intake of the substance can be extremely dangerous and can lead to acute kidney failure.

Another decorating tip is to "avoid glass baubles".

"Glass baubles can shatter, leaving your pet with some quite serious injuries if it ends up in their mouth or stuck in their paws," she said.

"Consider using shatterproof baubles instead of glass, and make sure your pets are supervised."

Staying on the theme of tree decorating, Cat describes how "tinsel and thin ribbon can be quite problematic".

"It's the common theme of pets eating things they shouldn't, and decorations are no exception," she added.

"Tinsel, ribbon, and string if swallowed will not only ruin your Christmas tree but can cause some serious digestive blockages.

"I remember a colleague of mine had to assist a cat who had swallowed some tinsel.

"You could see the golden sparkle coming from its nose that could luckily be removed.

"But in another very rare circumstance, another cat had to have a piece of tinsel pulled out of its bottom.

"Although it was clearly uncomfortable, the cat was very lucky, as in most situations, the tinsel doesn't pass and we would have to operate."

For those with smaller pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, or tiny dogs, Cat suggests keeping "electrical wiring off the floor".

"Electrical burns are far too common in animals who like to chew things - and they can be quite nasty," she added.

Cat concluded: "The key is to be mindful and respectful of our animals."

"Christmas can be a stressful time of year and we need to advocate for our pets.

"Ensuring unsafe edibles, dangerous decorations and unbreakable are out of reach will help with the stress.

"Store them in cupboards, in the fridge, or high up.

"There's no judgement, as we understand accidents happen and if anyone is ever in doubt, always contact the vets.

“We can help you calculate the toxic levels of chocolate, and give you the best advice to make sure you and your pets have a healthy and safe Christmas."