Coffee tables laden with chocolates and sweet treats, plates of mince pies hot from the oven, cheese boards draped with grapes, iced Christmas cake, rich chocolatey yule log...

Unfortunately, many of the reasons to love Christmas represent a toxic nightmare for our pets. Even the best behaved doggy can be tempted, as I found out one Christmas when the in-laws’ spaniel made an unexpected dive across the table for the mince pies. The inevitable then followed – as multiple people launched across the room to stop him swallowing, he promptly gulped it down before anyone could snatch his prize away.

There was a short silence followed by a collective sigh and a trip to their local vets. Fortunately, no lasting harm was done – he just felt a little sorry for himself after an injection to make him sick and treatment for any toxin remaining in his system.

The main culprits are grapes, chocolate and rich fatty foods

Whilst there are many things toxic to dogs, the big ones around Christmas include grapes, raisins and sultanas – even just one of these can potentially cause kidney damage. Chocolate can result in nasty vomiting and diarrhoea, and in severe cases can affect their heart and cause seizures. Rich fatty foods can give them an upset tummy and possibly pancreatitis.

Consider exciting new toys, including decorations and tinsel, as both cats and dogs may get carried away and ingest them, resulting in potentially life threatening blockages.

A few simple things may save an unwanted Christmas vet visit. Make family members aware of the risks and foods to be vigilant around. Keep things out of reach at all times, including things wrapped under the tree.

Be vigilant but try not to panic

Don’t panic if a four-legged friend is too quick for you, it happens! If taken to your vets promptly there’s rarely any lasting damage. All raisin and grape ingestions will need to be seen but chocolate is dose dependent so try to find the packaging for your vet.

It’s not uncommon around Christmas for vet practices to have cheeky pets lined up to induce vomiting, so vigilance and awareness is key to keeping your pet out of the queue!