Chocolate and Xylitol at Christmas: Advent Calendars, Presents and Sugar-Free Sweets
Already eaten some? Phone your vet or your national animal poison line now, before any signs appear, and keep the wrapper or packet to show them. My dog ate something · Find an emergency vet
Why December. The Royal Kennel Club says chocolate poisoning cases peak in December and are one of the most common reasons dogs see emergency vets at this time of year. Chocolate is in more places than usual: advent calendars, tree decorations, selection boxes and wrapped presents under the tree. Sugar-free sweets bring a second risk, xylitol. Not veterinary advice.
On this page (7 sections)
Where it hides at Christmas
The Royal Kennel Club lists advent calendars, chocolate tree decorations and coins, boxes of chocolates and wrapped chocolate presents as the things to keep out of reach. PDSA describes a four-month-old puppy that ate all 24 chocolates from an advent calendar and needed treatment at one of its pet hospitals. Sources: The Royal Kennel Club, Christmas foods: what not to give dogs at Christmas; PDSA, Pup nearly dies after wolfing down 24 chocolates (21 December 2021).
Why chocolate is a problem
PDSA says chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to most animals including dogs and cats, and lists vomiting, diarrhoea, drinking more, shaking and restlessness, and with more chocolate, an abnormal heart rhythm, raised temperature, fast breathing and seizures. The ASPCA says the darker the chocolate, the greater the risk, with baking chocolate and cocoa powder the most concentrated. Sources: PDSA, Pup nearly dies after wolfing down 24 chocolates (21 December 2021); ASPCA, People foods to avoid feeding your pets. Our chocolate page explains why the type matters.
Xylitol and sugar-free sweets
The ASPCA says xylitol is used in gum, sweets, baked goods and toothpaste, and that early signs include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination, which can progress to seizures. Blue Cross names candy canes among the sweets that can contain it. Stocking fillers, sugar-free chocolates and diabetic sweets are worth a label check. Sources: ASPCA, People foods to avoid feeding your pets; Blue Cross, Christmas dangers for dogs. More: xylitol and dogs and candy canes.
Wrappers and foil
The Royal Kennel Club says wrappers are not poisonous but can cause a dangerous blockage; PDSA vets were concerned about the foil from the torn-open advent calendar in the case above. Sources: The Royal Kennel Club, Christmas foods: what not to give dogs at Christmas; PDSA, Pup nearly dies after wolfing down 24 chocolates (21 December 2021).
If your dog has eaten some
PDSA advises contacting a vet as soon as you suspect it, not waiting for signs, because by the time signs appear the toxin is already in the body. The Royal Kennel Club says to keep the packaging to show the vet and not to try to make your dog sick yourself. Sources: PDSA, Pup nearly dies after wolfing down 24 chocolates (21 December 2021); The Royal Kennel Club, Christmas foods: what not to give dogs at Christmas.
Keeping it out of reach
- No chocolate presents under the tree: add them on the day.
- Advent calendars on a high shelf, not a low table or the child's bedside.
- Chocolate decorations off the lower branches, or off the tree entirely.
- Handbags and coats with gum or sweets hung up when guests arrive.
Sources
- The Royal Kennel Club, Christmas foods: what not to give dogs at Christmas, read 7 November 2026.
- PDSA, Pup nearly dies after wolfing down 24 chocolates (21 December 2021), read 7 November 2026.
- ASPCA, People foods to avoid feeding your pets, read 7 November 2026.
- Blue Cross, Christmas dangers for dogs, read 7 November 2026.
Related pages
Chocolate and dogs, can cats eat chocolate, Christmas leftovers and Christmas pet safety.
