December abounds with holiday celebrations, and nothing can spoil good cheer like an emergency trip to the veterinary clinic. These tips can help keep your winter holiday season from becoming not-so-happy—for your pet and for you.
If you want to share holiday treats with your pets, make or buy treats formulated just for them. The following people foods are especially dangerous for pets:
Chocolate is an essential part of holidays for many people, but it is toxic to dogs and cats. It’s safest to consider all chocolate off limits for pets, even though the harm it can cause varies based on the type of chocolate, the size of your pet, and the amount eaten.
Other sweets and baked goods also should be kept out of reach. Not only are they often too rich for pets; they may contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which has been linked to liver failure and death in dogs.
Table scraps – including gravy, sauces, dressing, and meat or poultry fat or skin – should be kept away from pets. During the holidays, when our own diets tend toward extra-rich foods, table scraps can be especially hard for pets to digest and can cause pancreatitis. Bones can cause choking or intestinal blockage. Plus, many foods that are healthy for people are poisonous to pets, including onions, raisins, and grapes. Unbaked yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.
Quick action can save lives. Signs that your pet may have eaten something they shouldn’t include sudden behavior changes, depression, pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. If your pet has any of these signs, call your veterinarian or nearest veterinary emergency clinic immediately.
Holiday Décorations
Holiday plants, lights, candles, and other decorations can make the holidays festive, but they also pose risky temptations for our pets.
Ornaments can cause hazards for pets. Breakable ornaments can cause injuries, and swallowed ornaments can cause intestinal blockage or illness. Keep any ornaments, including those made from salt-based dough or other food-based materials, out of reach of pets.
Tinsel, ribbons, wreaths, and other decorative materials also can be tempting for pets to play with and eat. These items whether swallowed in whole or in part can cause choking or intestinal blockage.
Christmas trees can tip over if pets climb on them or try to play with the lights and ornaments. Consider securing your tree to the ceiling or a doorframe using fishing line to secure it.
Electric lights can cause burns when a curious pet chews the electrical cords. Candles and oil lamps are attractive to pets as well as people. Never leave a pet alone in an area with a lit candle or lamp; it could result in a fire.
Flowers and festive plants can result in an emergency veterinary visit if your pet gets hold of them. Poinsettias, amaryllis, mistletoe, balsam, pine, cedar, and holly are among the common holiday plants that can be dangerous and even poisonous to pets who eat them, especially if large quantities are consumed.
SOURCE: American Veterinary Medical Association