What to watch out for to keep your pets safe this holiday season
Wrapping paper, ribbons, trees, lights, the Christmas season has begun.
With Thanksgiving being early this year, we all have an extra week to get ready for Christmas. On Saturday, the Boy Scouts delivered wreaths for our outside decorations.
Nutmeg, our cat, has planted himself on the top of the couch to watch me put the Christmas tree together. I think he's waiting for me to take the ornament with his picture on it out of the box.
As we wrap, decorate, bake and visit, during this busy time of the year, Some of the festivities can be hazardous to pets.
According to Dr. Steven Marks, chief of small animal medicine at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Champaign-Urbana, "Having pets around during holidays is like having small children around -- you have to think of all the things they can get into."
The American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Humane Association, Dr. Steven Marks and the Orange County Health Care Agency offer holiday safety tips for pets. Dr. Marks says, "Animals shouldn't eat foods during the holidays that they don't eat normally." Certain foods are potentially dangerous to pets.
According to the ASPCA, if our companion animals ingest chocolate they face serious consequences. "In any form ranging from one-ounce baking squares to hand dipped truffles, chocolate contains Theo bromine and caffeine both methylxanthines that can cause stimulation of the central nervous system, an increase in heart rate and tremors."
The AHA suggests keeping unsweetened baking chocolate, especially dark chocolate out of reach because, in addition to affecting the nervous system, it can cause urinary system and heart muscle damage in pets.
Other foods including coffee are also dangerous to pets. Onions are toxic, inhibiting an animal's ability to coagulate blood. Holiday foods such as turkey, ham and other fatty foods can cause pancreatitis in some animals, resulting in stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea.
So, if a pet gets a stomach ache that doesn't improve in 24 hours a veterinarian should be contacted. Grapes and raisins can lead to loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and acute renal failure in dogs. And, sugar free sweets containing xylitol can make dogs ill. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports a link appears to exist between xylitol ingestion and liver failure in dogs.
If you suspect your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, both organizations suggest calling your veterinarian, your local emergency animal hospital or the APCC's emergency hotline at (888)-426-4435 for 24 hour assistance.
Decorations may also pose a danger to pets. As the Christmas tree often sits in a pan of water that may contain preservatives, a pet drinking the water may develop stomach problems. However, using a tree skirt may limit the possibility of the pet drinking the water.
The Christmas tree may also pose a danger. Cats love to climb trees (subsequently knocking them down) and dogs like to chew wires. Move wires out reach or out of view. The Christmas tree should sit on a flat wide base. Common practice is to anchor the tree with fishing line tied to a drapery rod, or a ceiling or wall hook.
Dr. Marks notes, tinsel, garlands, ribbons and other strings are particularly attractive to cats and pose a strangulation risk if they get wrapped around a pet's neck. If strings are swallowed, they can cause a serious blockage in the intestines, since they will not pass easily through the digestive system. Plastic or Mylar gift wrap, Mylar balloons and plastic bags can become a suffocation hazard if left lying around. Make sure bags, gift wrap, strings and ribbons are cleaned up immediately after a wrapping or unwrapping session.
For their safety during holiday parties, doctors recommend keeping pets in a separate room when hosting a party. Doors opening and closing provide the opportunity for a pet to get out of the house. This might be a good time to make sure your pets are wearing a current ID tag along with their fancy holiday collar.
The next few weeks can be hectic with all of the shopping, wrapping, decorating and cooking that needs to be done. So, bundle up and take your dog for an evening walk around the neighborhood. Enjoy the lights and the companionship of your dog. It's great for relieving stress.
Adoptables
Nora, a 50 pound, 1-to 3-year- old Boxer mix, came to The Buddy Foundation after being found tied to a fence in a cemetery. Nora is outgoing, active, enjoys snuggling up, is housebroken and already knows how to sit, stay and shake hands. She does well when left at home alone for a few hours. Although she will go into her crate without a fuss, she does get stressed if left for an extended period of time. She loves car rides, enjoys walks and is learning her manners when on a leash. She gets along well with children, but due to her size and her energy, she may do best in a house with a fenced yard and children age 10 or older.
Logan is a perky 3-year-old black, neutered Pomeranian male. This happy fellow would be ideally suited to a home with no young children. Logan was mistreated by his first family; the young children treated him very harshly. Because of this, Logan will nip if he feels threatened in any way. However, he holds no grudges and loves everyone including dogs and cats. He even likes to be picked up. Logan craves attention and love and has settled in beautifully with his foster home.
Winter Fantasy: The Buddy Foundation will present Winter Fantasy a fashion show and luncheon featuring its furry friends from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 2, at Hotel Indigo, 920 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine. Tickets cost $40 for adults; $20 for children age 13 and younger. For tickets or more information, call (847) 813-7206 or visit thebuddyfoundation.org.