ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 888-426-4435.
Protect Your Pets During the Holidays
The holidays can be fun for the whole family, pets included. But there are things we need to protect our pets from to keep them safe and healthy during the holidays. We know some of the common foods to keep them away from, and hazards like Christmas tree ornaments, lights, and cords, but here are some simple reminders and tips to help make the holidays safe for your best four (or three) footed friends.
Foods To Avoid
Chocolate
Various Types of Nuts – Macadamia nuts and pistachios are very rich in fat and can cause pancreatitis, discussed above. In addition, macadamias are reported to contain an unknown toxin that may result in neurological symptoms. Pets have difficulty digesting almonds, walnuts, and pecans
Coffee/Tea (avoid products with caffeine and caffeine-like stimulants)
Unbaked bread dough or yeast products
Fatty leftovers like turkey skin – Many holiday foods, like turkey skin and gravy, are high in fat and difficult for pets to digest. These types of foods can cause a very painful illness known as pancreatitis.
Alcohol
Sugar-Free Items Containing Xylitol — Found in chewing gum, bread, cookies and other products, xylitol can increase a dog’s insulin blood level, causing his sugar level to drop, which leads to a hypoglycemic state.
Stuffing (may contain onions)
Bones
Certain Fruits and Veggies: garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, chives, and shallots, raisins and grapes. Onions in high concentration can cause cats to go into hemolytic anemia, a breakdown of the red blood cells. One source is baby food, which can contain onion powder.
Nutmeg – This popular spice, commonly used to season pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, and holiday beverages, should never be fed to your pets. Nutmeg, which has mild hallucinogenic properties, can cause seizures, tremors, central nervous system problems.
Milk – Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other dairy products can give them diarrhea or other digestive upset which can lead to dehydration. Products like plain yogurt, however, are good in moderation.
Uncooked potatoes and potato skins can be poisonous – Keep your pets out of the garbage.
Holiday cookies and other people treats – may contain nuts, raisins, and other ingredients toxic to pets
Pitted fruits such as plums and apricots are dangerous because dogs usually will not spit out the pits, which can cause obstructions. Many pits also contain cyanide.
Avocados are not recommended for any pet, as they are toxic to most animals.
Packaging can cause choking or intestinal blockage when ingested. Foil wrappers can become as dangerous as razors when swallowed
Make sure to keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food, and be sure to secure the lids on garbage cans.
As a general rule, anything that would not be a part of their regular diet shouldn’t be fed to them as a festive diet either.
Seasonal Plants and Decorations to Avoid
The Christmas Tree and fir roping: Securely anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn’t tip and fall, causing possible injury to your pet. This will also prevent the tree water—which may contain fertilizers that can cause stomach upset—from spilling. Vacuum up any stray pine needles as these can stomach upsets and irritate eyes.
Avoid Mistletoe, Holly, Poinsettias, Christmas cacti.
Tinsel
Candles: Don’t leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Many candles have a delicious scent. Keep them away from interested four-footed friends.
Wires, batteries, glass and plastic ornaments: Keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws’ reach. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus, while shards of breakable ornaments can damage your pet’s mouth and digestive tract.
No matter how careful people may be with their pets, owners should be prepared for an emergency. That means you should know where the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinarian’s office is located, as well as its phone number and hours. Also, keep the phone number for ASPCA Animal Poison Control handy: 888-426-4435.
Avoid Stressing Your Pet — Plan a Pet-Safe Holiday Gathering
Put the Meds Away: Make sure all of your medications are locked behind secure doors, and be sure to tell your guests to keep their meds zipped up and packed away, too.
A Room of Their Own: Give your pet his own quiet space to retreat to—complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle, away from the hubbub.
Plug in a diffuser to calm and comfort: Pet diffusers are designed to mimic a cat or dog’s natural calming pheromones. Simply plug your diffuser in and notice your pets’ restlessness, scratching and other stress signs disappear. Comfort Zone offers effective, odorless diffusers for both cats and dogs.
Music: A great source of music to calm your pets is Through a Dog’s Ear, and now Through a Cat’s Ear. The site even offers free sample downloads of calming music for your best friends. To learn more about the science behind the music Lisa Spector and Joshua Leeds have developed, check it out here.
New Year’s Stuff and Noise
Please keep in mind that strings of thrown confetti can get lodged in a pet’s intestines, if ingested, perhaps necessitating surgery. Noisy poppers can terrify pets and cause possible damage to sensitive ears. And remember that many pets are also scared of fireworks, so be sure to secure them in a safe, escape-proof area as midnight approaches.
Traveling With Your Pet
Leaving the familiarity of home can provoke anxiety in people and animals. If you are traveling by car, be sure to bring along some of your pet’s favorite toys, a blanket or pillow bed, and his regular food. If your pet is used to sleeping in a crate, bring it along so he can sleep in his familiar space. Keeping animals in travel crates prevents them from getting underfoot or on your lap while you are driving — an obvious hazard — it prevents them from being thrown from the car should an accident occur, and it prevents them from getting free/running away during rest stops or after minor accidents have occurred. We can tell you that these unhappy events do occur and are reported in the news frequently enough to make them worth noting. Also make sure your pet is wearing identification at all times, and pack an emergency first aid kit for pets in case of an emergency. And don’t forget to take frequent breaks to allow for rest and relief.
Boarding: Before choosing a boarding facility for your pet, take a quick tour of the facility to check out the accommodations. You will want to be sure that it is clean and well kept, and that there is ample space given for the animals to exercise daily.
Have your questions ready before you go. Things you may want to know are: how many animals are kept together in one space; can you bring your pet’s food so that his digestive system will not be upset by an abrupt change in food; will you be able to bring along toys and other familiar comfort objects from home?
If you don’t feel comfortable with a boarding facility, whether for your pet’s emotional comfort or because of health concerns, and you do not have the option of taking your pet along with you, give yourself plenty of time to ask around the neighborhood for someone to pet-sit in your home or theirs, or do some research into local pet-sitters that will come to your home to check in and care for your pet, or will take your pet into their home.
The better prepared you are, the less stress there will be for you and your pet, and the better your holiday celebrations will be.
The PuppyUp Foundation wishes you and your pets a safe and happily holiday season!
Sources:
Here’s a great source of holiday pet safety checks at Paw Rescue.org.
San Gabriel Tribune Foods To Avoid for Your Furry Friends
