PawSafe Season
Clear, practical guides for pet owners on the toxic foods, plants, decorations and seasonal hazards that send pets to the vet, and simple ways to avoid them.
Latest guides
Can Dogs Eat Mashed Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes? Thanksgiving Sides Explained
Plain cooked potato and sweet potato are fine for most dogs in small amounts, but Thanksgiving versions with butter, garlic, onion, marshmallows or nutmeg are not. What is safe, how much, and what to do if your dog raided the side dishes.
Plain cooked potato and sweet potato are fine for most dogs in small amounts, but Thanksgiving versions with butter, garlic, onion, marshmallows or nutmeg are not. What is safe, how much, and what to do if your dog raided the side dishes.
Dog Ate Sugar-Free Gum or Xylitol? What to Do Right Now
Xylitol (birch sugar) in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters and medicines can drop a dog's blood sugar within an hour and damage the liver. The signs, what to do, and where xylitol hides at home.
Xylitol (birch sugar) in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters and medicines can drop a dog's blood sugar within an hour and damage the liver. The signs, what to do, and where xylitol hides at home.
Can Dogs Eat Ham? Christmas Ham, Bones and Glaze Explained
Ham is not toxic to dogs, but it is very salty and fatty, glazes can hide onion, raisins or xylitol, and cooked ham bones splinter. What is safe, what to avoid at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and what to do if your dog steals the ham.
Ham is not toxic to dogs, but it is very salty and fatty, glazes can hide onion, raisins or xylitol, and cooked ham bones splinter. What is safe, what to avoid at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and what to do if your dog steals the ham.
Dog Ate Grapes or Raisins? What to Do Now (and What Happens Next)
Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can cause kidney injury in dogs, and there is no reliably safe amount. What to do in the first hour, why you should not wait for signs, what the vet will do, and where raisins hide in holiday food.
Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can cause kidney injury in dogs, and there is no reliably safe amount. What to do in the first hour, why you should not wait for signs, what the vet will do, and where raisins hide in holiday food.
Can Dogs and Cats Eat Turkey? Skin, Bones, Gravy and Leftovers Explained
A little plain, boneless, skinless cooked turkey is fine for most dogs and cats. Skin, bones, gravy and stuffing are not. A part-by-part safety table, safe portion sizes and what to do if your pet steals the carcass.
A little plain, boneless, skinless cooked turkey is fine for most dogs and cats. Skin, bones, gravy and stuffing are not. A part-by-part safety table, safe portion sizes and what to do if your pet steals the carcass.
Winter Paw Care for Dogs: Salt, Ice Balls, Cracked Pads and Booties
How to protect your dog's paws in snow and ice: a quick problem-and-fix table, a five-minute after-walk routine, choosing paw balm and booties, trimming paw fur and when sore pads need a vet.
How to protect your dog's paws in snow and ice: a quick problem-and-fix table, a five-minute after-walk routine, choosing paw balm and booties, trimming paw fur and when sore pads need a vet.
Hidden Christmas Hazards for Pets: Snow Globes, Liquid Potpourri, Batteries and Gift Wrap
Beyond chocolate and the tree: the less obvious holiday items that send dogs and cats to the vet, from snow globes and simmering potpourri to button batteries, oxygen absorbers and ribbon, and what to do if your pet gets into one.
Beyond chocolate and the tree: the less obvious holiday items that send dogs and cats to the vet, from snow globes and simmering potpourri to button batteries, oxygen absorbers and ribbon, and what to do if your pet gets into one.
How Cold Is Too Cold for Dogs? A Walk Temperature Guide by Size and Coat
A simple temperature chart for winter dog walks in Celsius and Fahrenheit, which dogs feel the cold most, how wind and wet change the numbers, signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and how to keep walks safe.
A simple temperature chart for winter dog walks in Celsius and Fahrenheit, which dogs feel the cold most, how wind and wet change the numbers, signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and how to keep walks safe.
Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin? Safe Amounts, Pie Filling, Seeds and Jack-o'-Lanterns
Plain pumpkin is fine for most dogs in small amounts, but pie filling, spiced bakes and mouldy jack-o'-lanterns are not. What to feed, how much and when to call the vet.
Plain pumpkin is fine for most dogs in small amounts, but pie filling, spiced bakes and mouldy jack-o'-lanterns are not. What to feed, how much and when to call the vet.
Pet First Aid Kit Checklist: What to Pack (and What to Leave Out)
A practical checklist for a dog or cat first aid kit, the emergency numbers to keep with it, human medicines that are dangerous for pets and when to go straight to the vet.
A practical checklist for a dog or cat first aid kit, the emergency numbers to keep with it, human medicines that are dangerous for pets and when to go straight to the vet.
Thanksgiving Pet Safety 2026: Foods, Guests, Leftovers
US Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026. Which feast foods are risky for dogs and cats, a safe pet plate, guest tips and the warning signs to watch for.
US Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026. Which feast foods are risky for dogs and cats, a safe pet plate, guest tips and the warning signs to watch for.
Dog Ate Chocolate? What to Do and When to Worry
What to do right away if your dog eats chocolate: how much is dangerous for each type, symptoms and timing, worked examples and what your vet may do.
What to do right away if your dog eats chocolate: how much is dangerous for each type, symptoms and timing, worked examples and what your vet may do.
Christmas Foods That Are Toxic to Dogs (and Safe Alternatives)
Chocolate, grapes, raisins, xylitol, onions, cooked bones and more: what is dangerous on the holiday table and why.
Chocolate, grapes, raisins, xylitol, onions, cooked bones and more: what is dangerous on the holiday table and why.
Holiday Plants and Cats: Lilies, Poinsettias, Mistletoe and More
Which festive plants are truly dangerous to cats, which are only mildly irritating, and what to choose instead.
Which festive plants are truly dangerous to cats, which are only mildly irritating, and what to choose instead.
How to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree: 12 Tips That Work
Stop climbing, toppling and ornament-chewing with practical setup tips for homes with cats.
Stop climbing, toppling and ornament-chewing with practical setup tips for homes with cats.
Fireworks Anxiety in Dogs: A Night-by-Night Plan
How to prepare a noise-phobic dog for New Year's Eve, Bonfire Night, Diwali and the Fourth of July.
How to prepare a noise-phobic dog for New Year's Eve, Bonfire Night, Diwali and the Fourth of July.
Halloween Pet Safety: Candy, Costumes and the Doorbell
Chocolate, xylitol candy, glow sticks, costume risks and keeping pets from bolting on trick-or-treat night.
Chocolate, xylitol candy, glow sticks, costume risks and keeping pets from bolting on trick-or-treat night.
Winter Hazards for Pets: Antifreeze, De-Icing Salt and Cold
Why antifreeze is so dangerous, how to protect paws from salt and when it is too cold for a walk.
Why antifreeze is so dangerous, how to protect paws from salt and when it is too cold for a walk.
How to Choose a Safe Gift for a Dog or Cat
What makes a toy or treat safe, and the common gifts that cause vet visits.
What makes a toy or treat safe, and the common gifts that cause vet visits.
Travelling With Pets Over the Holidays: Car, Plane or Pet Sitter?
A checklist for road trips, flights and boarding so your pet's holiday is as calm as yours.
A checklist for road trips, flights and boarding so your pet's holiday is as calm as yours.