Top tips for Christmas:

1. Avoid the temptation to share your Christmas dinner. Cooked bones and cured meat can play havoc with intestines. Onions, avocados, chocolate, nuts and grapes in particular are on the no-go list. Instead, give your pet a treat, such as a pet-friendly hamper. Visit www.pawspoint.com.au for these and other ideas.

2. Take care with decorations. Dangling baubles are a great temptation to dogs and cats, but they may choke! Likewise, wrapping can start

as a plaything but may wind up tangled around the neck.

3. Puppies, kittens and rabbits can be a little too inquisitive, so take care with party lights – the cord to the transformer is 240 volts.

4. When decorating with plants, remember that some, such as red cyclamen and lilies, can be harmful to pets. For more information, you can buy a copy of Poisonous to Pets by Nicole O’Kane from www.publish.csiro.au