Christmas Plants Toxic to Dogs and Dangerous Decorations: Which Ones Really Are

Key points

• Poinsettia is only mildly toxic: it irritates the mouth and stomach, but rarely causes more than some vomiting.
• Mistletoe and holly usually cause digestive upset; amaryllis and narcissus such as paperwhites (especially the bulb), Jerusalem cherry and Christmas rose can be more serious. With any of them, call your vet.
• With the tree, the biggest problems are the needles, the water in the stand and whatever hangs from it.
• Tinsel, ribbon, button batteries and light cords can be serious emergencies.
• Never make your dog vomit at home: call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet with the name of the plant, the amount and the time.

Christmas plants toxic to dogs are not all the same, and lumping them into one list confuses more than it helps. Poinsettia, the most famous, causes only mild irritation; mistletoe and holly tend to cause somewhat more digestive upset, and amaryllis or narcissus (paperwhite) bulbs are the most serious item on the list. And at this time of year, what sends the most dogs to the emergency vet isn't a plant: it is tinsel, a broken glass ornament or the cord of the lights.

Here you will find each plant with its real risk, which parts are dangerous and what symptoms it causes; then the decorations and wrapping to keep an eye on, and what to do if your dog has eaten something. The most important point comes first: if you suspect they have eaten something toxic, don't make them vomit at home, and call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet; in the US you can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline.

Christmas plants, from least to most dangerous

Plant	Toxicity	Dangerous part	What it usually causes
Christmas cactus	Non-toxic	None	At most, some vomiting if they eat a lot of the plant.
Poinsettia	Mild	Milky sap in leaves and stems	Drooling, mouth irritation, some vomiting or short-lived diarrhea.
Real tree (fir, pine)	Mild	Needles, sap, water in the stand	Vomiting and digestive upset; the needles can prick the mouth.
Holly	Mild to moderate	Red berries and leaves	Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling and lethargy. The spiny leaves injure the mouth.
Mistletoe	Mild to moderate	White berries, leaves and stems	Vomiting, diarrhea and drooling; only with large amounts, and rarely, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, weakness or tremors.
Jerusalem cherry (Christmas cherry)	Moderate	Berries, especially green ones, and leaves	Drooling, vomiting and diarrhea; in quantity, drowsiness, weakness, dilated pupils and slow heart rate.
Christmas rose (hellebore)	Moderate	The whole plant, the root most of all	Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, abdominal pain; in quantity, effects on the heart. It is very bitter and dogs rarely eat much of it.
Amaryllis and narcissus (paperwhites, daffodils)	Moderate; the bulb, more so	Mainly the bulb	Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, abdominal pain; with the bulb, tremors, low blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances.

Severity always depends on how much they ate and on their size: a few poinsettia leaves in a 30 kg (66 lb) dog are not the same as an amaryllis bulb in a 4 kg (9 lb) dog. If you are not sure which plant it is, take a photo and show it to your vet.

Poinsettia: less dangerous than its reputation

Poinsettia has a reputation as a very poisonous plant, but the veterinary evidence doesn't back it up. Its milky sap contains irritant substances that cause drooling, lip licking, some vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and clear up on their own within a few hours. If the sap gets into the eyes, it can irritate them.

That doesn't mean you should leave it on the floor. A puppy that chews up a whole plant can feel quite unwell, and fertilizer residue in the pot isn't harmless either. Put it up high and call your vet if the vomiting keeps coming back or your dog stops eating.

Mistletoe and holly: more upsetting than poinsettia, rarely serious

Mistletoe, both the European kind (Viscum album) sold in the UK and the American kind (Phoradendron) common in the US, contains lectins and other toxins (viscotoxins or phoratoxins) that irritate the digestive tract: vomiting, diarrhea and drooling are the usual signs. Effects on the heart and nervous system (slow heart rate, low blood pressure, weakness, wobbliness and, very rarely, seizures) have been described with large amounts and are uncommon. Sprigs are usually hung up high, but they dry out and fall, and the white berries roll across the floor. If your dog has eaten berries or leaves, call your vet, especially if it is a small dog. With a dog at home, artificial mistletoe is the better choice.

Holly contains saponins in its leaves and berries. The usual result of eating it is vomiting, diarrhea, drooling and lethargy, often because the spiny leaves injure the mouth. It is rarely serious, but the berries are tempting for young dogs. If your dog has eaten several berries or a lot of leaves, call your vet.

Amaryllis, narcissus, Jerusalem cherry and Christmas rose

Amaryllis, often given as a bulb to bloom at Christmas, contains lycorine and other alkaloids, concentrated mainly in the bulb. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, belly pain and, if the bulb is eaten, tremors and low blood pressure. Potted narcissus, such as the paperwhites that are also common at this time of year, act in a similar way. A dog that digs in a pot and chews a bulb should go to the vet.

Jerusalem cherry or Christmas cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum), the plant with round orange or red berries sold in December, is related to the tomato plant and contains alkaloids such as solanine, especially in the green berries. It usually causes drooling, vomiting and diarrhea, and in quantity drowsiness, weakness and a slow heart rate. If your dog has eaten several berries, call your vet.

Christmas rose or hellebore (Helleborus niger) contains glycosides that irritate the stomach and, in quantity, can disturb the heart rhythm. It is less common in homes, but florists and garden centers sell it in December.

Christmas bouquets sometimes include lilies. In dogs they usually cause only digestive upset, but in cats they are extremely dangerous: if you live with both, choose a bouquet without them.

The Christmas tree

• Needles from fir or pine irritate the mouth and stomach and, in quantity, can cause vomiting or, rarely, a blockage. Sweep every day and don't leave trimmed branches within reach.
• The water in the stand stagnates and builds up sap, bacteria and mold, and sometimes contains preservatives or fertilizer to keep the tree fresh. Cover it with a lid or a tree skirt they can't remove.
• Decorative pine cones break into pieces that can get stuck in the intestine.
• An artificial tree isn't toxic, but chewed plastic branches get swallowed. With a puppy that chews everything, a barrier around the tree is the most effective option.
• Stability: secure the stand well or tie the tree to the wall. A dog playing nearby or brushing past it can pull it down on top of itself.

Decorations that can be an emergency

• Tinsel, ribbon and string: if swallowed, the intestine tries to move them along and bunches up around them like an accordion. This is a linear foreign body, a surgical emergency. If you see a piece sticking out of the mouth or bottom, don't pull it.
• Glass ornaments: when they break, they leave shards that cut paws, mouth and digestive tract. Hang glass ones up high and, at most, fabric ones down low.
• Lights and cords: a puppy that chews a plugged-in cord can suffer mouth burns and serious breathing problems from the shock. Run cords through cord covers and unplug the lights when you are out.
• Button batteries: many light-up ornaments, LED candles and toys use them. Swallowed, a button battery can burn the esophagus or stomach within a few hours. It is an emergency.
• Glass snow globes: some, especially old ones or those of uncertain origin, contain antifreeze (ethylene glycol) in the liquid. If one breaks and your dog licks it, go to the vet immediately.
• Salt dough and edible ornaments: homemade salt dough ornaments (flour, salt and water) contain so much salt that eating one can cause salt poisoning, with vomiting, intense thirst, tremors or seizures: it is an emergency. Chocolate ornaments hanging on the tree must be kept out of reach like any other chocolate.
• Candles: burns and swallowed wax. Never at tail height.
• Nativity figurines and small ornaments: they get swallowed whole.

Gifts and wrapping

After the presents are opened, the floor is full of things that look like toys to a dog. Wrapping paper in small amounts usually isn't a problem, but these are:

• Ribbons, bows and string, for the same reason as tinsel.
• Plastic bags, a suffocation risk if they put their head inside.
• Gifts with food inside: a wrapped box of chocolates under the tree is a classic emergency vet case, because the dog smells it even if you don't know what is inside. Ask that food gifts not go under the tree.
• Desiccant packets that come with shoes or electronics: they are usually silica gel, which has low toxicity, but some are made of other materials. Put them away anyway.
• Loose batteries from new toys.

Clear everything up as soon as the presents are opened. If they get hold of something edible, the rundown of what dogs can eat at Christmas tells you what is dangerous.

Symptoms to watch for

• Heavy drooling, lip licking or pawing at the mouth.
• Vomiting, especially if repeated, or diarrhea.
• Lethargy, refusing food or hiding.
• A swollen or painful belly, hunched posture.
• Straining to poop without success.
• Wobbling, tremors, weakness or seizures.
• A very slow or very fast heart rate, pale gums.
• Coughing, trouble breathing or mouth burns (cords).

Some symptoms, such as those of a tinsel blockage, can take a day or two to appear. If you know they have eaten something, don't wait until they feel ill.

What to do if your dog has eaten something

1. Remove whatever is left of the plant or decoration and keep it, or take a photo. If it is a plant, the pot label helps.
2. Don't make them vomit at home, whether with hydrogen peroxide, salt or your fingers. Sharp objects or batteries can do more damage on the way back up, and some home remedies are toxic in themselves.
3. Call your vet or a 24-hour emergency vet. In the US you can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or the Pet Poison Helpline. Have their weight, what they ate, roughly how much and at what time at hand.
4. If they have chewed a cord, unplug it before you touch them.
5. If a string is sticking out of the mouth or bottom, don't pull it or cut it: call, and let the vet deal with it.
6. Follow their instructions. Often watching at home is enough; other times, if they ate it recently, the vet can induce vomiting safely at the clinic.

Save the number of your nearest 24-hour emergency vet before the holidays: many clinics close on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. A well-stocked dog first aid kit also helps.

How to decorate your home with a dog

• Toxic plants up high or in a room they can't get into. If you have a puppy, artificial plants or a Christmas cactus are better.
• The tree in a corner, well secured and, if needed, with a barrier or playpen around it.
• Large, unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches; glass, tinsel and small items up high or not at all.
• Cords tidied away and lights unplugged when nobody is home.
• For the first few days, keep an eye on them near the tree and give them something better to do: a stuffable toy or a snuffle mat.

And on New Year's Eve, beyond the decorations, think about the noise: you will find ideas in the guide on dogs that are afraid of fireworks.

Frequently asked questions

Is poinsettia poisonous to dogs?

It is mildly toxic, not highly poisonous as is often said. Its sap irritates the mouth and stomach and can cause drooling, some vomiting or diarrhea, which usually clear up on their own within a few hours. Even so, keep it up high, especially with puppies, and call your vet if the vomiting keeps coming back or your dog stops eating.

What happens if my dog eats mistletoe?

The most common signs are vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. Only with large amounts, and rarely, it can lower the heart rate or blood pressure and cause weakness, wobbling or seizures. Call your vet even if your dog seems fine, especially if they are small or ate quite a few berries, with their weight and an idea of how much they ate, and don't make them vomit at home.

Is holly toxic to dogs?

Yes, mildly to moderately. Its berries and leaves contain saponins that cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling and lethargy, and the spiny leaves can injure the mouth. It is rarely serious, but if your dog has eaten several berries or a lot of leaves, or the symptoms don't improve within a few hours, call your vet.

Are Christmas trees dangerous for dogs?

The tree itself has low toxicity, but it causes problems on several fronts: the needles irritate the mouth and stomach, the water in the stand stagnates and may contain fertilizer or preservatives, and the ornaments, cords and tinsel cause the most emergencies. Cover the water, secure the tree and keep small and glass ornaments off the lower branches.

What should I do if my dog swallowed tinsel?

Call your vet even if your dog seems fine. Tinsel and ribbon can act as a linear foreign body that damages the intestine, and symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite or belly pain can take a day or two to appear. If you see a piece sticking out of the mouth or bottom, don't pull it, and don't try to make them vomit at home.