Chocolate and raisins are harmful to dogs
Withington Vets issues Christmas warning: Chocolate and raisins are harmful to dogs
Yew Tree Vets in Withington is urging dog owners to take extra care this festive season as chocolate and raisins, two ingredients found in many Christmas treats, can be highly toxic to dogs.
Every year, thousands of dogs across the UK require emergency veterinary care after eating these foods, and the risk increases significantly during the holidays.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine, which dogs cannot process effectively. Even small amounts can cause serious illness. Raisins, along with grapes and currants, are also dangerous and can lead to kidney failure if ingested.
These ingredients are common in advent calendars, desserts, chocolate tubs, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies, making the festive period a high-risk time for pets.
“Dogs are opportunists when it comes to food,” says Phyllis Pratt, Clinical Director at Yew Tree Vets. “With so many tempting treats around the home, it’s easy for pets to get hold of something harmful. Prevention is always better than cure.”
Owners are advised to keep all festive foods well out of reach. Advent calendars should be hung on walls rather than placed on low surfaces, and chocolate tubs, sweet bowls, and cakes should be stored on high shelves or countertops. Dogs should never be given chocolate or raisins as a treat, no matter how small the amount.
If a dog eats chocolate or raisins, owners should call their vet immediately, even if the dog appears fine. Symptoms can take up to four hours to appear and may include vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea, muscle tremors, seizures, a fast heart rate, excessive drinking, drooling, unsteady walking, and rapid breathing. These signs indicate that urgent veterinary attention is needed.
Yew Tree Vets provides emergency cover throughout the festive season and uses a chocolate toxicity calculator to assess the level of risk based on the type and amount of chocolate consumed. Treatment may involve inducing vomiting to remove toxins and monitoring the dog for up to 48 hours. In most cases, dogs make a full recovery if treated promptly, but delays can lead to serious complications.
“Christmas should be a time of joy, not worry,” adds Phyllis Pratt. “By keeping harmful foods out of reach and acting quickly if an accident happens, owners can ensure their pets stay safe and healthy.”
Festive bin collection changes - Cheshire East
Cheshire East Bin Collections Over the Festive Period
Cheshire East residents are being encouraged to check the council’s website for changes to their bin collection schedule during the festive period.
There will be no black or silver bin collections on any of the Bank Holidays – Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Residents who would usually have their bins collected on these days will have their collections rescheduled as follows:
If your BLACK bin was due for collection on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), it will now be collected on Tuesday 23 December.
If your SILVER bin was due for collection on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), it will now be collected on Monday 22 December.
If your BLACK bin was due for collection on Friday 26 December (Boxing Day), it will now be collected on Monday 29 December.
If your SILVER bin was due for collection on Friday 26 December (Boxing Day), it will now be collected on Tuesday 30 December.
If your BLACK bin was due for collection on Thursday 1 January (New Year’s Day), it will now be collected on Monday 5 January 2025.
If your SILVER bin was due for collection on Thursday 1 January (New Year’s Day), it will now be collected on Tuesday 6 January.
Garden waste collections for subscribers to the council’s Garden Waste Recycling Scheme will finish on Friday 19 December. They will restart for subscribers to the 2026 scheme from the week commencing 19 January.
More information about bin collection changes and how to check collection dates
Residents are asked to ensure their bin is out for 6:30am on collection days.
Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) will remain open over the festive season, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day when they will be closed.
The sites will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
The mobile HWRC will be in Middlewich on 13 December and 10 January, and in Poynton on 31 January.
Festive bin collection changes - Manchester
Manchester Bin Collections Over the Festive Period
The council is advising residents to check their bin collection dates during the Christmas and New Year period, particularly to check their bin day online to avoid missed collections and to ensure bins are out by 7am on the revised dates.
Collection Dates
No changes to collections on:
Monday 22 December and Monday 29 December
Tuesday 23 December and Tuesday 30 December
Wednesday 24 December and Wednesday 31 December
Changes to Thursday and Friday collections:
Thursday 25 December → Saturday 27 December
Friday 26 December → Sunday 28 December
Thursday 1 January → Friday 2 January
Friday 2 January → Saturday 3 January
Residents are also being encouraged to take care when separating their recyclable materials into the correct recycling bins.
Recycling Guidelines:
Cardboard and Paper - Place in your blue bin. Flatten boxes and remove plastic packaging.
Wrapping Paper and Cards - Recyclable if made entirely of paper. Remove glitter, foil, bows, and ribbons.
Food Waste - Leftovers, including bones, go in your green bin. Clean foil trays can be recycled in your brown bin.
Plastics and Glass - Empty plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, tin foil, tins, cans, glass bottles, and glass jars go in your brown bin. Plastic films and crisp packets go in your grey bin.
Electrical Items and Batteries - Take to your local recycling centre or supermarket collection points.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Alongside household recycling, real Christmas trees can also be recycled throughout January once all decorations, lights, stands, and wooden bases have been removed. Artificial trees cannot be recycled.
Recycling options:
Charity Collection - Book a collection with Just Helping for a donation. Funds raised support local causes including Moya Cole Hospice, Francis House, and We Love Manchester.
Green Bin - Chop your tree into pieces and place them in your green bin on any green bin day in January.
Drop-off Points: - Trees can be taken to:
Wythenshawe Park and Gardens Athletics Track (M23 0PH)
Heaton Park, Middleton Road entrance (M8 4NB)
Boggart Hole Clough, near Visitor Centre (M9 7DH)
Patchett Street, Ardwick (M12 4RY)
If you live in the city centre, you take your real trees for recycling at:
Angel Meadow Park, entrance Old Mount Street, M4 4HA
Castlefield Bowl, off Rice Street, Manchester M3 4JR
Cutting Room Square, Cotton Street side, Ancoats. M4 6BF
Smithfield Estate, Northern Quarter (opposite Smithfield Craft Centre), Oak Street. M4 5JD
Sackville Gardens, 41 Whitworth Street, Sackville Street M1 3W
You can also take your tree to your local tip / recycling centre.
Festive bin collection changes - Salford
Salford Bin Collections Over the Festive Period
There are some changes to your bin collection days during the festive period.
No collection will take place on: Your replacement collection date is:
Thursday 25 December 2025 Saturday 20 December 2025
Friday 26 December 2025 Saturday 27 December 2025
Thursday 1 January 2026 Saturday 3 January 2026
If your pink lidded bin or food caddy has not been emptied on your normal collection day please accept our apologies. This is due to operational staff issues over the Christmas period. Please take your bin or caddy back in and place it out again on your next scheduled collection day when we will be able to return and empty it.
Don’t forget to recycle your wrapping paper, tinfoil, bottles, cans, your Christmas tree and left-over food.
Recycling Christmas tree and recycling centre timings
How to recycle your Christmas tree
You can recycle your real Christmas tree either:
By taking it to your local household and recycling centre.
By chopping it into pieces and put them in your food and garden pink lidded bin - please take off the base or wooden block if your tree has one and make sure the trunk is not thicker than your wrist. Wood thicker than your wrist is too big and can’t be put in your pink lidded food and garden bin. You can take large trunks and wooden bases to your local recycling centre.
By arranging for it to be collected and recycled by the Just Helping Charity. Go to just-helping.org.uk/register-tree for details.
Household recycling centres
Your local recycling centres will all be open except on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December 2025) and New Year's Day (Thursday 1 January 2026) when they will be closed. Please check holiday opening times on the Recycle for Greater Manchester site before you visit:
Brindle Heath, Cobden Street, Salford, M6 6NA
Lumns Lane, Swinton, M27 8LN
Boysnope Wharf, Irlam, M30 7RH
Salford Road Recycling Centre, Salford Road, Bolton, BL5 1DG