by Jason Merrihew
The holiday season is a time to celebrate with your loved ones and share
warmth, food, light, and love. However, you can end up sharing a little
too much
season greetings with your pets. The meals, parties, and decorations that
brighten your winter can be hazardous to the animals you love. To keep
them safe, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers these
tips on
keeping the holidays healthy and happy for the pets in your family.
Don’t let your pet sample the holiday leftovers. Although it seems like those delicious potato latkes, gravies, and turkey skins make a good treat, they actually contain too much fat for animals to digest and can cause pets severe stomach upset or life-threatening pancreatitis. Leftover bones can break when chewed and tear or get lodged in the throat, stomach, or intestinal tract; large bones can obstruct intestines completely. Treat your pet with a new toy or some biscuits from the pet store instead.
Be mindful of your pet’s accessibility to the holiday candy and treats. Theobromine, a chemical in chocolate, is very poisonous to pets—just a little bit can be fatal. Candy wrappers can cause stomach or intestinal obstruction. Don’t leave any foil wrapped goodies under the tree or out in a candy dish where a meandering pet could find them.
Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous, and poinsettia leaves and sap can cause serious stomach upset. Keep the holiday greenery up and out of reach or spray the plants and soil with pet repellants.
Christmas trees are beautiful, but can create a number of problems if you’re not careful. Fallen pine needles can puncture your pet’s intestines if eaten. You can clean needles out from under the tree and any indoor wreaths regularly and keep the tree well watered to stop needles from drying out. Trees can be toppled by an adventurous cat with an urge to climb or a large dog with a happy tail. Anchoring the top of the tree to the wall with rope or cord will help keep it upright. Also, the water in the base can contain preservatives or chemicals from the tree stump that can cause intestinal problems, so use a tree skirt or a metal cover to keep the water inaccessible.
When you’re decking your halls, remember that anything within your pet’s reach is potential food. Sharp or fragile ornaments, dreidels, and figurines should be kept out of reach; they can damage an animal’s mouth, stomach, and intestines or cause choking. Tinsel and ribbon can wrap around intestines or ball up in the stomach, and tinsel can cut the lining of the intestinal tract if eaten. Safeguard them against your pet at all times, or avoid them entirely. Stay away from spray-on snow, which pets can inhale and choke on.
Puppies, kittens, and pocket pets like rabbits and hamsters love nothing more than chewing everything in sight, so make sure the electrical cords from your holiday lights are secured and out of the way. You can thread your cords through lengths of PVC pipe to prevent chewing accidents.
Lighted candles left at a kitten’s eye level or within a puppy’s chewing zone can quickly become disastrous, and dog and cat tails that rub along coffee tables can quickly become torches. Never leave a pet alone with an open flame, and keep candles securely anchored safely away from curious faces, tails, and feet.
All the hustle and bustle that brightens your day can be scary to a pet. Be sure to provide a quiet, familiar place, like an empty bedroom, where your pet can retreat if the strange noises, smells, and faces become too stressful. Keep an eye on the open door when guests are coming and going, and make sure your pet has a collar and an updated tag in case of an accidental escape.
Finally, remember that puppies, kitties, and other animals do not make suitable Christmas presents. They may look adorable under the tree, but they require years of constant care from their owners. Giving a pet to a person who isn’t ready for that kind of commitment is hard on both the animal and the owner in the long run.
AAHA is the only organization that accredits veterinary practices throughout the U.S. and Canada for dedication to high standards of veterinary care. Approximately 3,000 AAHA-accredited practices pass regular reviews of AAHA’s stringent accreditation standards that cover patient care, client service and medical protocols. For pet care information or referral to an AAHA-accredited practice, visit www.healthypet.com.