Flocked Christmas trees probably won’t poison your pet, but they can still pose health risks

Claim:

Flocking on a preflocked Christmas tree can pose fatal health risks to pets.

Rating:

Context

While flocking is largely considered nontoxic to pets, animals who ingest large amounts of flocking may experience intestinal obstructions, which can be fatal without appropriate treatment.

For years, concerned pet parents have asked the internet whether the artificial snow on Christmas trees, or “flocking,” can cause harm to their fur babies.

For example, in 2022, a Facebook user shared that their two cats had died and that they believed it was due to the “white flocking dust that fell off” the Christmas tree. The post generated several news articles, including a story from Yahoo News Australia.

Since then, posts warning pet owners away from flocked Christmas trees — or asking whether the trees pose a threat — have continued to circulate online.

The good news is that flocked Christmas trees are not considered a poisoning hazard to pets once dry, according to the ASPCA and Dr. Sara Farmer, a veterinarian with Petco.

“Flocking material is typically plastic, so the primary risks when ingested by our pets is potential foreign body and GI upset,” Asli Aybar, an ASPCA spokesperson, said via email, after checking with Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of toxicology at ASPCA Poison Control. 

Foreign bodies, including flocking — if ingested in large amounts — can cause intestinal blockages. Without treatment, an intestinal blockage can cause death, per numerous veterinary hospitals’ webpages.

For that reason, we have rated this claim true — with the caveat that pretty much anything inorganic that your pet ingests can cause an intestinal blockage.

The ASPCA recommends keeping pets out of the area if applying flocking yourself and ensuring it is thoroughly dry before allowing your pets near it “to avoid problems from accidental exposure such as skin, mucous membrane or gastrointestinal irritation.”