Holiday Safety for Pets

Season’s greetings! The holiday season is already in full swing. This is an extremely special time of year. It’s really important for us to slow down and reconnect with our loved ones. This includes our furry friends! Fido and Fluffy truly make those lovely holiday scenes complete. However, you will want to take a few steps to keep your pet safe. This article features a local Peterborough, ON veterinarian discussing pet safety.

Holiday Pet Toxins

Poison is a constant threat to your pet, regardless of the season. Many common household items are harmful to pets. Household cleansers, automobile goods, insecticides, lawn/garden items, and medications would all be included on this list. Other toxins are more prevalent throughout specific seasons. Antifreeze is one major concern. It is particularly toxic to pets. Unfortunately, many animals like the flavor. Choose a pet-friendly brand. It’s also best to play it safe and clean up any spillage.

Safe and Unsafe Foods

Food is another worry. We all adore those delicious holiday feasts. Fido and Fluffy are also quite skilled at persuading us to share with them. While some things are safe, others can make pets very sick, and some are even fatal.

Here are some of the hazardous foods:

Sweets: Anything high in sugar is generally unsuitable for your pet. However, some items are more hazardous than others. Xylitol is one of the major issues. Also known as birch sugar, it can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in pets. Symptoms include weakness, tiredness, and vomiting. Seizures and black and/or tarry feces are examples of more dangerous symptoms. Unfortunately, consumption can cause liver failure, coma, and even death.

Chocolate/Caffeine: Chocolate is frequently at the top of the list of hazardous foods for dogs and cats, and for good reason. It contains something called theobromine, which pets cannot digest. In tiny dosages, it might produce nausea and diarrhea. Larger characteristics may cause seizures, heart problems, coma, or death. Even worse, the deadly amount is sometimes as low as one ounce per pound of a pet’s body weight.

Grapes, Currants, And Raisins: These small fruits are beneficial to humans but highly harmful to dogs. In fact, dogs can suffer organ failure after ingesting just one. The problem here is tartaric acid, which causes serious—and sometimes fatal—damage to dogs’ kidneys.

Meat On The Bone: Fido and Fluffy will undoubtedly take note of those scrumptious main courses. You can share meat, fish, and fowl with your pet, but only cooked, unseasoned meat that is free of skin, bones, and fat. Bones are particularly harmful when cooked. They become quite fragile and can break into sharp shards. These pose significant choking hazards and can cause major internal harm if consumed.

Other harmful foods include garlic, onion, and chives, avocado, uncooked dough, coffee, macadamia nuts, and anything high in salt, sugar, or fat. Ask your Peterborough, ON veterinarian about safe and harmful foods.

Plants

These festive decorations can potentially be dangerous to playful pets. Many of these seasonal favorites are really harmful to our pets. Here are some of the ones to be wary of.

Holly contains methylxanthines, saponins, and cyanogens. If swallowed, these can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. Poinsettias can cause gastrointestinal problems. In fact, consuming too many leaves can be lethal. Lilies are among the most harmful plants for cats. In fact, even nibbling a few leaves or drinking a little water can cause deadly organ damage in cats. Ivy includes triterpenoid saponins, which are harmful to pets. Symptoms of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, and drooling. Mistletoe produces the cytotoxin viscumin, which is poisonous to dogs. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory troubles, low blood pressure, abdominal pain, and heart problems.

That tree may also be unsafe! The needles are quite sharp, and the water could be contaminated. (More on that later.)

Stick to plants that you know are safe for pets. If you decide to get real plants, be very careful and keep them away from those furry paws! Keep in mind that even healthy plants might become dangerous if they are covered with glitter or decorated with small objects. Ask your veterinarian for further information on safe and dangerous plants.

Pets and the Tree

Those lovely trees make excellent centerpieces for any Christmas display. However, to pets, particularly cats, they are essentially enormous cat towers adorned with dazzling ornaments. We don’t have any foolproof solutions to deter Fluffy from climbing the tree, but we do have some suggestions.

Decorate carefully. Use dull, unbreakable materials for the lower branches. Keep the most delicate ornaments, as well as the majority of the lights and tinsel, on the upper levels. This way, if your pet knocks something off, it’s less likely to break. It’s also important that you choose the right location: If you place the tree near to a convenient kitty launchpad, such as a desk, chair, or sofa, you’re essentially giving Fluffy full rein to cause havoc. If feasible, position the tree in a corner. Also, cover the water bowl. If you get a real tree, be cautious with the water. It may contain pesticides, fire retardants, and other toxic residues.

Fallen needles, ornament hooks, and tinsel strands are all hazardous to pets if consumed. Keep these off the floor. Also, keep an eye on gifts: While some animals will ignore them, others will be quite intrigued. Bows, ribbons, and strings are all potentially detrimental to your pet.

It’s important to keep your pet, especially Fluffy, away from the tree. One thing that could help? Bribery! Try giving your kitty companion some of her new toys early on and letting her tire herself out with exciting play sessions. Hopefully, she will burn off her zoomies and focus on resting under the tree with the other gifts.

Be Very Careful With Flames And Fire

Chestnuts roasting over an open fire may be an iconic image, but you must use caution to keep any fire or flames contained. If your fireplace uses wood, lay a grate in front of it. This is simply a basic common safety precaution. Candles should also be stored in high places. Be careful with potpourri burners as well!

Book An Appointment At Our Peterborough, ON Pet Hospital

We all wish you a happy Christmas season. Please contact us for all of your pet’s veterinary requirements. As your Peterborough, ON pet hospital, we are happy to help!