With the excitement of the holiday season lurks hidden potential dangers for pets. This newsletter describes how to keep your pet (or your family’s or friend’s pets) from needing emergency care during all the hustle and bustle.

• Avoid access to any string, such as ribbon and tinsel. If swallowed, the string can damage the intestines and require very costly surgery. Also make sure your cat, rabbit, or puppies do not bite into an electrical cord, which can cause serious burns to the mouth or even electrocution.
• Prevent ingestion of foreign bodies. Dogs will sometimes swallow items such as cat toys, ornaments, and even garbage. Any of these items can get stuck in the stomach or intestines and sometimes require veterinary care or surgery as needed.
• Pet food only. Intentional or accidental ingestion of some common holiday goodies can make a pet sick and require veterinary care: grapes/raisins, coffee beans, macadamia nuts, onions/garlic, chocolate, alcohol/marijuana edibles.

Xylitol, an artificial sweetener sometimes in candy, gum, and even peanut butter, is extremely toxic to dogs. Medications can also have toxic side effects if ingested accidentally. It’s a good idea to remind your guests to secure any medicines (for themselves or their own pets) so they are not accessible to your pets.

Additional Toxins and What to Do:

If ingested, contact an animal hospital or poison hotline as soon as possible to receive advice if prompt medical care is needed. Talking to a veterinarian in a timely manner can mean the difference between an animal surviving or not.  Check the ASPCA Animal Poison link to learn more about this service.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control