HOLIDAY TIPS TO KEEP YOUR PET SAFE

A little care protects your pet from seasonal hazards.
Taking a few minutes out of your hectic holiday schedule to ensure that decorations, festive foods, and cold weather chemicals don’t harm your pet can be the best gift of all. Approach the holidays with your pets as if you had a curious two-year-old in your home.

Ornamental dangers. Glass balls, holiday lights, tinsel, garlands, and other ornaments pose the potential for choking, oral injury, and gastrointestinal problems. Chewing on wires can lead to electrical shock. And strings of any kind can get tangled up in the intestines. Symptoms include vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, and shock. Keep all of these items out of your pet’s reach.

Batteries not included. Corrosives generated when a battery becomes lodged in the esophagus, stomach, or intestine can rapidly cause severe injury. Lithium batteries are particularly hazardous if eaten.

Trim the trimmings. When pets eat too much turkey skin and gravy or other fatty foods, vomiting, lethargy, pain, and diarrhea may result. They can go from normal to critically ill in less than 24 hours. Onions and onion powder can cause anemia, and leftover bones can easily become lodged in the esophagus. Grapes and raisins may cause kidney failure in some dogs.

No chocolate, please. Chocolate, especially the dark or semi-sweet variety, is dangerous to pets, potentially causing central nervous problems, seizures, cardiac trauma, hyperactivity, restlessness, tremors, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The great escape. Every year there are stories about dogs and cats running out the door as guests are entering the house. They can either get lost or become victims of car accidents. Make sure your pets are secured prior to parties or holiday gatherings with family and friends.

Be aware of other potential dangers during the holiday season:

Candles
Dried potpourri and scented oils
Poinsettias, holly berries, mistletoe, evergreen, and other toxic plants
Liquor
Antifreeze
Ice-melting chemicals

For additional information about toxic substances, the Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435. If your pet shows any symptoms of illness or injury, consult your veterinarian immediately.