On the First Day of Christmas, my pet gave to me…..a trip to the ER?!
By: Courtney Pellerin, DVM
Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year-decorations, family gatherings, yummy feasts. With all those busy, joyous plans, we have no time for a pet health scare!
Here are some common holiday dangers to avoid to make sure your pets have a safe and happy holiday season as well.
- Christmas trees: For their safety, it’s best to establish a physical barrier between pets and the tree. Cats can climb on the tree, potentially knocking it over. Pets can also chew on the wires for the lights, risking electrocution. Tree needles or glass ornaments on the floor can cause gastrointestinal upset or damage.
- Tinsel/Wrapping Ribbon: Crafty pet parents should make sure to properly store ribbons or decorative tinsel as these objects can wrap around pets’ tongues and cause intestinal obstructions, requiring emergency surgical intervention.
- Batteries: Decorations and gifts often require owners to have plenty of battery power around the house. If ingested, batteries can leak caustic substances that can burn the mouth, esophagus and stomach of your pet in addition to putting your pet at risk of intestinal obstructions as well.
- Plants: Many festive plants become increasingly popular during the holidays, but can cause harmful effects, such as gastrointestinal upset, hypersalivation, and prolonged lethargy, if ingested by your pet. Some common ones include holly, mistletoe, juniper, amaryllis, rosemary, and poinsettias.
- Table food/alcohol: Holiday times are full of chances to eat, drink and be merry but please don’t share your treats with your furry friends. Human food consumption can cause a variety of undesirable results from gastrointestinal distress, anorexia, pancreatitis or even organ damage. Alcohol can be extremely toxic to any size pet and even seemingly harmless amounts can be lethal. Remember that many baked goods, such as fruit cake, can contain alcohol products as well.
There are so many ways to include your pets in the holiday fun! (may I suggest adorable family pictures in matching christmas sweaters?) But avoiding these things can keep your Christmas as stress-free as possible.