Pets love Christmas as much as we do, with lots of shiny decorations to play with, lots of tasty food to eat and lots of family to play with. While this may all sound good, lots of animals get sick by accident over the holidays. Here are the top five dangers for pet owners to watch out for this Christmas:

1. Accidental swallowing – lots of toys and games come with small parts, not to mention tempting-looking Christmas baubles!

2. Accidental poisoning – dogs especially are great at begging for treats, but chocolate is actually very poisonous to dogs, so keep them away from that giant tin of sweets. Also watch out for raisins and batteries, which can also poison pets.

3. Twisted tummy – make sure you let your dog’s big Christmas dinner settle before you take them for a long walk.

4. Hypothermia – just like humans, pets get cold. Make sure all outdoor animals have plenty of warm bedding, or even bring them in when it gets too cold. Try to get cats to stay indoors overnight and don’t leave dogs outside for too long.

5. Accidental injury – pets are curious, so will explore Christmas trees, lights, snow, ice and all sorts of things.

Be careful they don’t knock the tree over on themselves or chew through light cables. Watch out for slipping on icy walks too!