Pawliday Pet Safety! Avoid The ER This Holiday Season With These Essential Pet Safety Pointers
Poisons, Poinsettias, and Pancreatitis, Oh my!
Each year when I write my letter to Santa, the first thing I ask for on my Christmas List is for all the pets to stay safe and healthy during the holiday season.
While it’s a joyous time, the holiday season poses numerous risks for our pets. From dangerous decorations to enticing poisonous plants and unknowing guests, holiday hazards are all around us.
If you also asked Santa to keep your pet healthy this season, stay vigilant about the following:
Treat Safety
Your pets will want to enjoy seasonal treats as much as you do, but frankly, it’s not always in their best interest.
Go slow with new dog/cat treats. If you’re like me, your dog’s stocking is stuffed fuller than yours. Be careful with how many treats you’re giving them, and if you’re giving them a rich treat they’ve never had before, give them a small piece to see how they tolerate it before allowing them to wolf down the whole thing. Dogs especially have extremely sensitive GI tracts, and one piece of a new duck jerky could give them diarrhea for days. Better not.
No chocolate! There’s always a lot of chocolate and candy around the holiday season. Chocolates are especially toxic to dogs, so when you empty your stockings, be sure that you don’t leave any laying around where they can get to it. Make sure your kids are aware of this risk, too.
Avoid table scraps. Foods high in fat can cause pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can range from mild GI signs that can be managed at home supportively to a serious and life-threatening problem requiring hospitalization. If you feel bad not sharing the table with them, you’re better off keeping a small helping of kibble or treats that are safe for your pets handy to avoid giving them food from the table.
Avoid common toxic human foods. I can tell you not to feed your pets human food all day long, but I know for some of you that will fall on deaf ears. If you really want to give people food to your pet, give safe foods only such as plain carrots, green beans or sweet potatoes. Make sure anything you offer them isn’t prepared with any of these common household foods that are toxic to pets.
Warn your guests. Let your guests know what is safe to feed your pets when they are visiting your home. If your pet has an allergy, everyone should be informed. I typically keep a magnet with a list of toxic human foods that cannot be fed to my dog on my fridge. As a general rule of thumb, it’s safest to ask everyone not to feed your pet at all.
Take out the trash. Be sure not to leave trash cans full of holiday food scraps after your guests leave to prevent pets from getting into it and causing GI upset.
Decoration Safety
Christmas trees and other decorations present multiple hazards for dogs and cats. Cats especially seem to find joy in the holiday decoration mischief. Consider the following to keep them out of the ER.
Anchor the tree. Whether it’s tug of war or a cool new place to jump up in and hide, animals love to mess around with the tree. Consider anchoring the tree to the wall with rope or wire to prevent it from being knocked over. (PSA: I didn’t do this this year and my 15 foot tree literally came crashing down, with my dog running out from under it just in time — FEAR) You can also consider blocking off access to the tree with baby gates.
Do not allow pets to drink water from live trees. The water at the base of your live tree is treated with chemicals to extend the life of the tree and can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria as the tree ages. If they drink this, they can become very sick.
Keep their bowls filled with fresh water at all times to prevent their interest in the tree water. If they’re still going for it, create a cover for the water trough and lift it only when adding water to the tree.
Keep ornaments out of the reach of pets. Keep the ornaments higher up in the tree where they’re out of reach for pets.
Avoid glass ornaments. If you have fragile glass ornaments, these are best avoided as pets will sometimes eat shards of these if they fall and break from the tree. I know that sounds crazy, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen a cat for eating glass. Glass shards also put your pet at risk for a paw pad laceration, which bleed a LOT.
Avoid string and tinsel. Many decorations can lead to GI obstruction if consumed, but nothing is worse than a linear foreign body, which is what occurs when a pet eats string or tinsel. Cats are especially notorious for eating string and tinsel, so it’s better to just keep that stuff out of the house entirely.
Careful with candles. There’s nothing better than candles to create a cozy atmosphere during the holidays, right? I love ‘em too. But candles present the risk for a burn injury or a fire hazard when knocked over by pets. Candles should be kept high enough where pets cannot access them. And if you have a cheeky cat that just can’t help himself, perhaps consider using electric candles instead.
Holiday Plant Safety
Holiday plants including poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe are toxic to pets. Although the effects of toxicity are generally mild, these should always be kept out of reach. A few points on these beautifully toxic plants:
Holly.
While holly berries are an important winter food source for birds, they’re toxic to dogs, cats and humans. Several varieties include saponins, which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea if eaten. The pointy edges of the leaves can cause mild traumatic injury to the inside of the mouth. Other symptoms include drooling, lip smacking and head shaking.
Mistletoe.
Not all mistletoe is created equal, with American mistletoe being less toxic than European mistletoe. But regardless of the stain you have in the home, you should be cautious with this plant around pets. Ingested in small quantities can lead to signs of mild GI distress. In very rare cases, when ingested in large enough quantities, mistletoe toxicity can lead to a low heart rate, seizures, and even death.
Poinsettias.
The milky-white sap inside the plant is irritating to your pet's mouth, stomach, and skin. Ingestion can cause drooling, oral pain, and vomiting if ingested in large enough quantities. However, the symptoms are usually mild enough that medical intervention is rarely needed.
If you suspect your pet has been exposed to any poisonous plants or other holiday toxins, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (USA): +1 (888) 426-4435
Other poison control numbers to keep on speed dial:
Ensuring the safety and well-being of your pets during this festive period is crucial.
Let’s keep the holidays memorable this year for a good reason.
🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍🎁🎄🕍
Happy holidays!
Dr. Sami
Excellent tips - especially those related to food and overfeeding!