Holiday Safety Tips For Your Pets
Posted on Wednesday, 26 of November , 2008 at 4:16 pm
‘Tis the season for friends, family and holiday feasts—but also for possible distress for our animal companions. Pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.
While enjoying this time of year, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) wants pet parents to be aware of potential hazards that certain goodies and décor can pose to our furry friends.
“Many of our winter habits and holiday traditions could pose a potential threat to our companion animals,” says Dr. Steven Hansen, a board-certified veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president of the ASPCA’s Animal Health Services, which includes the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Ill. “As you begin to prepare for a festive season, remember to be wary of activities that can be potentially dangerous to pets.”
To keep pets happy and healthy during the holiday season, the ASPCA offers pet owners the following helpful hints:
Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don’t offer him or her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.
Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.
No Bread Dough
Don’t spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal’s body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.
Don’t Let Them Eat Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.
Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don’t allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.
The biggest hazards to pets, especially on Thanksgiving, include:
- Rich, fatty foods (turkey skins, gravy, etc,) can contribute to pancreatitis. This inflammation of the digestive gland is painful and can be serious–requiring emergency veterinary assistance.
- Cooked bones can splinter and cause tears or obstruction in a pet’s digestive tract.
- Baking strings, if ingested, can create trouble if ingested by your pet.
- Onions in holiday stuffing can lead to canine anemia if consumed by your dog.
- Grapes and raisin toxins can cause kidney failure in pets.
- Ingesting chocolate can kill your pet. Chocolate contains a xanthine compound called theobromine. Theobromine is highest in dark chocolate, but even milk chocolate contains theobromine. Chocolate can be fatal to your dog! Bowls of candy, or pieces dropped by guests or children, may go unnoticed by you for hours, but pose a real risk to your pets.
- Caffeine and alcohol are also toxic for pets.
A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them rawhide strips, Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.
If you want to give your dog a special dinner for the holiday, scoop out a small amount of mashed potatoes before adding all the butter and such.
Add few cooked vegetables such as broccoli or carrots – but small amounts, not large helpings.
Remove the skin from a slice of turkey and cut the meat into small pieces.
If your pet usually eats canned food, you can just mix the meat and veggies together and put it down for your pet as you are eating your own meal.
If you usually feed your pet dry food, mix a little of the treats in with the kibble and save some for treats later on.
For dessert, skip the pie and ice cream and give your pet a little applesauce.
Avoid a sour stomach. ’Tis the season for overeating, but remember to keep your pets on a normal diet. Any change of diet, even for one meal, can give your dog or cat severe indigestion and diarrhea. “Please don’t give pets holiday leftovers, and do keep them out of the garbage,” advises Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages, while greasy, spicy and fatty foods can cause stomach upset.
Use caution with cocktails. If your plans include adult holiday beverages, be sure to place unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot reach them. If ingested, the animal could become very sick and weak and may go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.
Skip the sweets. Several popular holiday treats are toxic to pets. Candies containing the sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination, seizures and even liver failure in certain cases.
“Chocolate, especially baker’s and dark chocolate, can also be potentially poisonous to animals, especially dogs,” advises Dr. Hansen. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and increased thirst and urination, as well as abnormal heart rate/rhythm and even seizures. Cats also love to play with candy wrappers, but ingesting aluminum foil or cellophane can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.
Floral arrangements should be given forethought. Be careful with holiday floral arrangements and Christmas tree decorations. Lilies are commonly used this time of year and all varieties, including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and Casa Blanca can cause kidney failure in cats. In addition, common Yuletide plants such as mistletoe and holly berries can be potentially toxic to pets. Should a cat or dog eat mistletoe, they could possibly suffer gastrointestinal upset and in rare cases, cardiovascular problems. Holly can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested.
Cover the Christmas tree water. Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers which if ingested can cause stomach upset. Stagnant tree water can also act as a breeding ground for bacteria, and if ingested a pet could end up with abdominal discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea.
Decorations can be dangerous. Consider decorating your tree with ornaments that are relatively less enticing to pets, such as dried non-toxic flowers, wood, fabric or pinecones. Traditional decorations such as ribbons or tinsel, if ingested, can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. This is a very common problem, particularly with cats. Also take care to prevent your pets from having access to glass ornaments, wires and cords from holiday decorations. If chewed, such ornaments can damage your pet’s mouth from shards of glass or plastic, while a wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock.
Careful with the candles. Ensure any candle decorations are kept well out of your pets’ reach. Animals can easily knock over holiday candles and start a fire, and curious kittens are particularly at risk of getting burned by candle flames.
If your dog or cat accidentally ingests any potentially harmful products and you need emergency advice, please consult your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee applies) or www.aspca.org/apcc. For more information on having a fun, safe holiday with your pets, please visit www.aspca.org.
About the ASPCA®Animal Poison Control Center
Established in 1978, the ASPCA® Animal Poison Control Center is the only 24-hour, 365-day animal-dedicated poison control center in North America staffed by 30 veterinarians, 13 of who are board-certified general and/or veterinary toxicologists.
Located in Urbana, Ill., the specially trained staff provides assistance to pet owners, and specific diagnostic and treatment recommendations to veterinarians pertaining to toxic chemicals and dangerous plants, products or substances.
The Center also provides extensive veterinary toxicology consulting on a wide array of subjects, including legal cases, formulation issues, product liability, and regulatory reporting. For more information on potentially dangerous substances in the home or to reach the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, please call (888) 426-4435 or visit www.aspca.org/apcc. 11-26-08
Category: Animals, Consumers, Health
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