Holiday Pet Hazards
The holidays are among us, everyone is busy shopping, baking, and
preparing for celebrations. But whether you celebrate Christmas,
Hanukkah, or any other holiday there are many things you need to
be careful with when it comes to your pet.
For starters, Holiday Decorations. Christmas trees, tinsel, lights, lit
candles, ribbon etc are all very tempting to your pet. Chewing on
electrical cords or lights can cause burns, lit candles can cause burns
and are a potential fire hazard. Tinsel and ribbons can be viewed
as a fun toy but if ingested it can cause intestinal blockages causing
your pet to need surgery. It is best to keep all decorations away from
your pets to ensure their safety.
Another staple of the holidays are festive plants. But most of these
plants such as Poinsettias, Holly, Amaryllis, and Mistletoe to name a
few are highly toxic to your beloved pets. Just a lick can cause reaction
to your pet with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea,
hyper salvation, seizures, and some can even be life threatening . It is
very important that you keep all of these types of plants away from your
pet. If you suspect that your pet may have ingested a holiday plant call
ASPCA Poison Control immediately http://www.aapcc.org/ 1-800-222-
1222.
Everyone always looks forward to chowing down on the delicious
holiday food and desserts! But many food items can be very toxic to
your pet. Chocolate is highly toxic as well as Xylitol found in many sugar free baked goods. Onions, Garlic, fat, bones, alcohol etc are all "No Nos' for your pet. Just because we can
digest things doesn't mean our fuzzy friends can. Their metabolism is different then ours and even
though we can handle eating these things they cannot. So don't give these food items to your pet and of course keep things out of reach off counter tops or even in garbage's that your pets can get to or, You might find yourself at the Animal ER with your pet this Holiday.
(You can read more about Holiday food dangers in our Thanksgiving blog. http://
The Holidays are fun but can also be stressful, for us and our pets.
They can be confused by all the "fuss" that is going on around this time
of year. And it can be very stressful when strange guest arrive at our
home to celebrate. If your pet seems stressed by strange house guest or
all the "hustle and bustle" of the holidays, It may be a good Idea to
seclude your pet in a quiet area where they can rest peacefully.
The Holidays are a joyful time of year. Just don't forget about your fuzzy friend. By following these steps you can ensure that you and your pet will have a safe holiday season. Now have fun and enjoy! Cheers!
