Holiday Pet Tips
While you are busy making your festive plans for Thanksgiving,
Hanukkah, and Christmas, please don't forget to include your
pets. The holidays are a time for giving, but there are some
things you should not share with your little best friends. Once you
know the hazards, a little precaution and prevention will make
holidays a happy time for everyone.
Some of the more common holiday hazards include:
Bones: The holiday turkey or chicken will leave a lot of tantalizing
bones, but don't feed them to your pet. Beware of steak bones,
too. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach,
and intestinal tract.
Dietary Indiscretion :We all like to include our pets in Holiday
meals along with the rest of the family, but try to keep in mind
that sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset a pet’s stomach.
Vomiting and diarrhea are not uncommon. If leftovers are of an
especially fatty nature, the pancreas may become inflamed and
overloaded. This condition is serious and may require
hospitalization
Chocolate: Many people do not realize that chocolate can be a
poison. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries a much higher
dose of the toxin “theobromine” than does milk chocolate, but
even normal milk chocolate can be dangerous; a small dog
sharing candy can wind up in big trouble. Clinical signs of
chocolate poisoning include hyper excitability, nervousness,
vomiting, and diarrhea and death.
Holiday plants: Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous
when eaten. The lovely poinsettia may not be truly poisonous,
but its milky white sap and leaves can certainly cause severe
gastric distress. With so many hybrid varieties available each
year, the best approach is to keep the plants out of your pet's
reach.
Electrical cords: Holiday lights mean more electrical cords for
kittens and puppies to chew. Be sure you have cords secured
and out of the way.
Candles: Lighted candles should never be left unattended and
that is even more important if left at kitty's eye level or within
puppy's chewing zone. An exuberant tail, a swat of a paw, and
candles and hot wax can quickly become disastrous. Anchor
candles securely and away from curious faces and feet.
Pine needles: Check around holiday trees and boughs frequently.
Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet's intestines if sharp
enough.
Holiday tree: Make sure your tree is well secured. If you have a
tree-climbing cat or large dog with a happy tail, anchor the top of
the tree to the wall, using strong cord or rope. Preservatives
often used in the water in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets,
so be sure it is inaccessible or not used. Avoid sugar and aspirin
additives in the water as well.
Ribbons and Tinsel: These are of special interest to playful cats
and kittens who see these materials as toys (or prey) to be
chased, pounced upon, chewed or swallowed. While chasing and
pouncing pose no health threats, chewing and swallowing do, as
these strings or “linear foreign bodies” can catch in the GI tract,
leading to bunching of intestine as the body tries in vain to move
the string or ribbon through. This is a life-threatening condition
requiring surgery for correction. Supervise animals who play with
string closely.
Ornaments: Sharp or breakable ornaments, dreidels, and even
aluminum foil should be kept out of reach.
Stress and company: With everyone coming and going, watch
out for open doors and sneaky pets. Make sure your pets have
collars and tags on in case of escape. Ask guests to keep an
eye out for pets under foot and remind them that sometimes
your normally friendly dog or cat may be less than willing to deal
with enthusiastic children and rooms full of unfamiliar people.
Provide a special quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for
your pets to retreat to when the festivities get too stressful.
Did you know that some caged birds are afraid of the dark? Try
a night light or leaving the front of the cage uncovered.
Before traveling with your pets, make sure they have all required
vaccinations and health papers. If they are on medications, have
enough to last through the trip.
When traveling by air, be aware of airline restrictions regarding
outside temperature and number of animals allowed per flight.
Someone may have already booked a pet, and there are no
more allowed. Check with the airline reservations or travel agent.
Remember that even the most gentle and trusting pet may bite
when in pain. If you must muzzle, use a soft towel or cloth strips
and remove it as soon as possible so the pet can breathe more
easily.
Beef-flavored toothpaste? Sounds pretty awful, but it's just one
of a number of specially formulated pastes for pets. Never use
human toothpaste: it irritates a pet's stomach.
While you are busy making your festive plans for Thanksgiving,
Hanukkah, and Christmas, please don't forget to include your
pets. The holidays are a time for giving, but there are some
things you should not share with your little best friends. Once you
know the hazards, a little precaution and prevention will make
holidays a happy time for everyone.
Some of the more common holiday hazards include:
Bones: The holiday turkey or chicken will leave a lot of tantalizing
bones, but don't feed them to your pet. Beware of steak bones,
too. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach,
and intestinal tract.
Dietary Indiscretion :We all like to include our pets in Holiday
meals along with the rest of the family, but try to keep in mind
that sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset a pet’s stomach.
Vomiting and diarrhea are not uncommon. If leftovers are of an
especially fatty nature, the pancreas may become inflamed and
overloaded. This condition is serious and may require
hospitalization
Chocolate: Many people do not realize that chocolate can be a
poison. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries a much higher
dose of the toxin “theobromine” than does milk chocolate, but
even normal milk chocolate can be dangerous; a small dog
sharing candy can wind up in big trouble. Clinical signs of
chocolate poisoning include hyper excitability, nervousness,
vomiting, and diarrhea and death.
Holiday plants: Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous
when eaten. The lovely poinsettia may not be truly poisonous,
but its milky white sap and leaves can certainly cause severe
gastric distress. With so many hybrid varieties available each
year, the best approach is to keep the plants out of your pet's
reach.
Electrical cords: Holiday lights mean more electrical cords for
kittens and puppies to chew. Be sure you have cords secured
and out of the way.
Candles: Lighted candles should never be left unattended and
that is even more important if left at kitty's eye level or within
puppy's chewing zone. An exuberant tail, a swat of a paw, and
candles and hot wax can quickly become disastrous. Anchor
candles securely and away from curious faces and feet.
Pine needles: Check around holiday trees and boughs frequently.
Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet's intestines if sharp
enough.
Holiday tree: Make sure your tree is well secured. If you have a
tree-climbing cat or large dog with a happy tail, anchor the top of
the tree to the wall, using strong cord or rope. Preservatives
often used in the water in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets,
so be sure it is inaccessible or not used. Avoid sugar and aspirin
additives in the water as well.
Ribbons and Tinsel: These are of special interest to playful cats
and kittens who see these materials as toys (or prey) to be
chased, pounced upon, chewed or swallowed. While chasing and
pouncing pose no health threats, chewing and swallowing do, as
these strings or “linear foreign bodies” can catch in the GI tract,
leading to bunching of intestine as the body tries in vain to move
the string or ribbon through. This is a life-threatening condition
requiring surgery for correction. Supervise animals who play with
string closely.
Ornaments: Sharp or breakable ornaments, dreidels, and even
aluminum foil should be kept out of reach.
Stress and company: With everyone coming and going, watch
out for open doors and sneaky pets. Make sure your pets have
collars and tags on in case of escape. Ask guests to keep an
eye out for pets under foot and remind them that sometimes
your normally friendly dog or cat may be less than willing to deal
with enthusiastic children and rooms full of unfamiliar people.
Provide a special quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for
your pets to retreat to when the festivities get too stressful.
Did you know that some caged birds are afraid of the dark? Try
a night light or leaving the front of the cage uncovered.
Before traveling with your pets, make sure they have all required
vaccinations and health papers. If they are on medications, have
enough to last through the trip.
When traveling by air, be aware of airline restrictions regarding
outside temperature and number of animals allowed per flight.
Someone may have already booked a pet, and there are no
more allowed. Check with the airline reservations or travel agent.
Remember that even the most gentle and trusting pet may bite
when in pain. If you must muzzle, use a soft towel or cloth strips
and remove it as soon as possible so the pet can breathe more
easily.
Beef-flavored toothpaste? Sounds pretty awful, but it's just one
of a number of specially formulated pastes for pets. Never use
human toothpaste: it irritates a pet's stomach.
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