Every December the emergency vets get the same flood of panicked calls.
I’ve been on the other end of too many of them. Here’s exactly what I lock down, bolt up, and triple-check the second Thanksgiving plates hit the sink.
1. Chocolate, grapes, and onions are never “just one bite”
Last year a 10-week-old ate half a chocolate orange that fell off a coffee table. $4,800 and three days on IV fluids. Keep the advent calendars on the fridge with a magnet, not on the counter.
2. The Christmas tree is a salad bar to a puppy
Pine needles = intestinal perforation. Tinsel = linear foreign body surgery. Glass ornaments at nose level = shattered in seconds.
My rule: bottom three feet of the tree is bare or filled with wooden, felt, or plastic ornaments only. Water in the stand gets a splash of white vinegar so they hate the taste.
3. Turkey bones and string from the roast
, the real bird’s carcass goes straight into a tied garbage bag and out to the can before anyone starts dessert.
4. Candles and fire starters
A wagging tail + a lit candle on a coffee table = fire. We switched to battery candles years ago and the house still smells like a Christmas tree exploded in the best way.
5. Potpourri, essential oils, and those plug-in things
Liquid potpourri burns mouths and esophagi. Diffusers with tea tree, cinnamon, or pine oil can cause seizures in dogs under 30 lbs. I want my house to smell like the holidays, not the ICU.
6. Gift ribbons, tape, and those plastic bows
Puppies eat ribbon like spaghetti. One emergency surgery is all it takes to never leave a gift unwrapped in the living room again.
7. The quiet killers nobody talks about
Button batteries from cards or toys
Sugar-free gum with xylitol in purses
Guests who think “he’s fine” and sneak him people food under the table
My holiday checklist (takes me 10 minutes and has saved countless puppies):
• All trash cans have lids or go in the garage
• Purses and backpacks on hooks, not the floor
• One room that’s always gated and boring (crate + playpen) for when company gets loud
The holidays are supposed to smell like pine needles and puppy breath, not panic and vet bills. Keep the dangerous stuff high, the routine tight, and the cuddles endless.
Your puppy will still think it’s the best Christmas ever. Raising puppies who survive the holidays (and your mother-in-law’s fruitcake).
