Holiday Dangers

It is a very exciting time of the year filled with festivities, food, and decorations and traveling.  So no matter if you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas or Quanza new have to remember the safety of our pets during this holiday season. The following are some safety tips for your respective holidays.

Food

Many people are busily cooking all sorts of goodies in their kitchens and you forget that their furry loved ones are eagerly waiting for foods to fall or waiting their time to get into the garbage or countertop. Make sure you take the time to make sure your pet is safe by placing foods out of reach, picking up foods that fall and making sure the garbage is out of reach from your pets.

Chocolate is toxic to pets. Chocolate is given more frequently during this time as gifts or placed out on counters or tables so make sure your pets cannot get to these delicious treats.

Some people try to include their furry loved ones in the delicious feasts by feeding them same food they are eating. This acute change in their normal diet can cause vomiting, diarrhea or even more serious conditions like pancreatitis. So try to refrain from including your pets in your holiday meals.

Decorations

Electrical lights and cords are strewn about. Make sure they are hidden or out of reach to prevent chewing on these items, which can cause electrical burns or shock.  More candles are being lit also and these can be knocked over by our pets causing fires, use the candles with caution and always blow them out before leaving the house or going to bed.

Ornaments appear to be favorite of dogs especially the shiny glass balls. It is a good idea to keep them higher on the trees so they cannot reach them along with other ornaments. Ribbons and tinsel is a favorite of cats our dogs may partake in these also. This can cause an obstruction in gastrointestinal tract referred to as linear foreign body. Your pet will need surgery to remove this material.

A lot of dogs and cats for that matter love to chew on houseplants. During the holidays poinsettias and mistletoe along with other plants decorate our homes this season. While poinsettias are not as toxic as once thought they along with other plants should be kept out of reach due to the vomiting and diarrhea it can cause in our pets. In large amounts more serious conditions involving the liver and kidneys can happen.

Traveling

If you are traveling with your pet either by automobile or plane you may want to have your pet assessed before travel to make sure he or she is healthy for travel. This is more important for plane travel and may be required by the airline. Make sure you contact either the country embassy (international travel) or airline for specific requirements for pet travel.