Holiday Pet Safety is So Important!
To avoid emergency animal hospital visits this holiday season, steer clear of pet hazards such as:
- Visitors and commotion: Visitors and commotion can upset even the most social pets. Pets may become nervous or anxious from the excitement that often accompanies holiday parties.
- Ribbon Ingestion: Any foreign object your pet swallows can be dangerous and can cause serious complications. However, linear foreign bodies such as ribbon or tinsel are particularly dangerous.
- Food and Alcohol: Avoid feeding Fido fatty foods, bones, garlic, onions, grapes, raisins, nuts, chocolate, yeast, and xylitol (sugar free), as these are especially hazardous for pets.
- Batteries: Keep batteries out of paw’s reach, as a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.
- Toxic Plants: Holiday plants including Amaryllis, Mistletoe, Balsam, Pine, Cedar, and Holly can result in an emergency veterinary visit, if consumed by your pet. Poinsettias can be troublesome, as well.
- Candles: Burning candles are attractive to pets. Never leave a pet unattended in an area with a lit candle; as it could result in fire and injury.
- Decorations: Christmas tree needles are not digestible, so they are particularly worrisome because there is potential to obstruct or puncture the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, tree water can be dangerous for your dogs or cats due to preservatives, pesticides, fertilizers and other agents, such as aspirin, being added to keep the tree fresh. Use a covered tree water dish, or consider adding Ginger ale instead. Also, Christmas trees are known to tip over if pets climb on them or play with the lights and ornaments. To avoid this, consider securing your tree to a wall or door frame using fishing line.