Holiday Animal Safety Tips

We all know how wonderful the holiday season can be...the lights, decorations, friends and family, and the smells of freshly baked goodies and a fragrant holiday meal.  For as much as we love these comforts, the hustle & bustle of the season can be a stressful time for our furry companion animals.  We all love our animals, and while they are a part of the family and should be included in many of our holiday festivities and celebrations, there are some tips to follow to help keep them safe and healthy.

Many foods that we eat are not suitable for our animals' consumption...their bodies simply are not made to easily digest the foods common to us.  Many table scraps can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and discomfort in your animal.  Do not allow your animal to have any type of poultry bones, as they easily splinter and form sharp points that can become lodged in your pets throat, gums or intestinal tract, all of which can cause severe problems and may cause you to spend your holiday season with trips to the Emergency Clinic and veterinary hospitals.  Following is a list of holiday ingredients and plants that can be harmful, if not toxic, to your furry companion.

Chocolate is a very popular holiday gift, but it contains a molecule called "theobromine," which is a heart stimulant and can cause a fatal heart attack if ingested in large doses.  Animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans and the heart, central nervous system, and kidneys are affected by its intake. Early signs of theobromine poisoning in dogs include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. If it is suspected that your animal has ingested a significant amount of chocolate, it will be necessary for you to immediately transport your animal to a veterinary hospital in order to have a doctor induce vomiting.

Part of any traditional holiday festivity is visiting with family and friends.  This can cause stress for your animal if your home is normally quiet and peaceful.  With people coming in and out of the house, doors can easily be left open or ajar, making an easy escape route for your animal.  Hundreds of stray animals are brought to shelters around the holiday season, many without current identification tags.  To keep your animal safe, keep doors closed (put up festive holiday signs if needed), keep identification tags current as well as current registration for your dogs.   Microchipping your animal can also be an extremely beneficial identification tool to ensure that your animal is returned to you.

Allow your animal to also have a temperature-controlled "safe" room in which to retreat should the chaos of company become too much for him or her to handle.  Provide the animal with comfortable bedding and fresh water, and place many of the animal's favorite possessions in the room (those that are safe when not monitored, of course!).  This will help to ensure that your animal does not become overly-stressed during the busy holiday festivities.

While the holiday lights, tinsel and ornaments are eye-pleasing, they can be dangerous to your animal if not appropriately maintained and placed.  Animals that enjoy chewing as a pastime may find all of the extra light cords and plugs quite inviting, so be sure to cover or secure these "chew toys" by taping them down.  Doing so will help to prevent electric shocks, burns, or more serious injuries and fires.  Also be sure to keep candles burning in an area where your animals are not able to accidentally knock them over, causing themselves burns or household fires.

Hanging ornaments are also quite tempting to cats and puppies, as they immediately spring back into action once pawed at!  If ingested, these ornaments or pieces of them can cause blockages or other serious injuries to your animals.  Similarly, if any glass ornament is knocked off of the tree and shattered, the broken glass can not only cause injury to you animals sensitive paws if stepped upon or digestive tract if ingested, but to yourself and your children as well.   The best way to prevent these tragedies are by placing ornaments higher upon the tree.

Tinsel is always tempting to cats, as the reflections and movement are mesmerizing.  As cats handle much with their mouths, ingesting tinsel is all too common and all too tragic.  It can cause severe blockages in your kitty among other health issues, which can be fatal if not treated in time.   Regardless, the medical treatment will end up costing you much more than you had planned on spending around the holidays!

While your animal is a part of the family and should be included in the happiness of the holiday season, please be aware and vigilant of the dangers your animal faces in light of the festivities.  As we are their guardians, they rely on us to keep them safe, so please make this holiday season just as enjoyable for your animal as we hope it will be for you and your family!

Happy Pawlidays