Holiday Pet Dangers

 

The holidays can be very festive time for us humans and our pets. However, it is very easy to become distracted amid all the decorating, baking, and parties. We can easily overlook potential dangers to our four legged family members.

 

Holiday Tinsel and Ornaments

Tinsel, while not toxic, is very attractive to pets,   especially cats. Since tinsel reflects light it often appears to be moving to watchful critters. The problem with tinsel is that once consumed, it can become a foreign body in your pet’s digestive tract. Tinsel can bunch up and twist inside your pet’s intestines causing a very serious blockage that could require emergency surgery.

 

In addition to tinsel other bright and colorful tree ornaments can attract your pet’s attention. Glass, aluminum, or paper ornaments should be placed higher in the tree, so they are not knocked off and broken or ingested by your pet. Sharp pieces could cause lacerations to the mouth, throat, and digestive tract. They could also pose as a choking hazard.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Trees

While pine needles are not toxic to your pet, if ingested can cause vomiting and diarrhea. You should not allow your pet to drink the water from the tree stand, this can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Never add fertilizer to the water either, this can pose a more serious emergency situation for your pet.

 

Make sure that your tree is properly secured so that your pets do not knock it over, especially if they are big players. If you have a cat that is known for climbing things he shouldn’t, leave the Christmas decorations off the tree for a few days to see if he will climb the tree.

 

 

 

 

Holiday Lighting and Candles

Twinkling, shiny and dangling holiday lights may be another source of danger to your curios pets. Got a pet that likes to chew? Electrical shock could occur if a pet chomps down on an electrical cord, causing severe burns to the mouth or even death. Keep electrical cords hidden and secured from your pets, also turn off lights and unplug them to help prevent electrical shock.

 

If you have candles on display, place them in a hard to reach spot so your pets can’t access them. Not only can pets seriously burn themselves, but it can also be a fire hazard.

 

Toxic Holiday Plants

Even though they are very pretty, some holiday plants are poisonous, even deadly.

Holly, commonly found during the Christmas season can cause intense vomiting, diarrhea, and depression.

Mistletoe, another Christmas plant, can cause significant vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, erratic behavior, hallucinations and death when ingested.

Poinsettias, can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach and sometimes vomiting.

Lilies, as little as a single leaf of any variety is lethal to cats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food Hazards

Festive events often mean edible treats – and lots of them. Unfortunately, some of the most popular goodies can be extremely toxic or even fatal to your pets.

Fat trimmings or left overs, if ingested could cause vomiting and diarrhea, but could cause a more serious illness known as Pancreatitis. Pancreatitis causes the pancreas to become inflamed and secret toxic enzymes causing severe gastrointestinal illness, dehydration, or even death.

 

Bones, even though it may seem natural to give your dog a bone, both cooked and uncooked bones are a serious hazard to pets. When ingested, bones can splinter causing perforations, or become an obstruction in the digestive tract. Both of these could result in emergency surgery for your pet.

 

Chocolate contains various levels of fat, caffeine, and methylxanthines. Generally the darker and richer the chocolate the more toxic it is. Depending on the amount of chocolate ingested it could cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, urination, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias, tremors and seizures.

 

Sugar Free baked goods, especially artificial sweeteners containing xylitol can also cause serious problems for your pets. Xylitol can drop your pet’s blood pressure to a dangerously low level. Other symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, loss if coordination, seizures, and liver failure.

 

Alcohol, pets should never ingest alcohol because it can cause nervous system depression. Other more severe symptoms can be vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing, tremors, coma, and seizures.

 

Holiday Stress

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be stressful to us, but it can also take a toll on our pets. Make sure your pets have a safe and quiet place to go if to many guests or loud noises become too stressful. Also remember that sick and older pets are more sensitive to extra activity and change, so take extra consideration and make sure things stay calm for your pets.

 

If your pet is an escape artist put them in their safe and quiet zone early so as your guests enter and exit your home there is no risk of your pets running outside and getting lost.

 

Monitor your pets for stress and anxiety and put them in their quiet zone if it becomes too much for them. Signs of stress and anxiety are panting, pacing, whining, vomiting, diarrhea, or irritability.