Holiday Pet Care Tips

Of course you want to include your furry companions in the festivities, pet parents, but as you celebrate this holiday season, try to keep your pet’s eating and exercise habits as close to their normal routine as possible. And be sure to steer them clear of the following unhealthy treats, toxic plants and dangerous decorations:

House Rules
If your animal-loving guests would like to give your pets a little extra attention and exercise while you’re busy tending to the party, ask them to feel free to start a nice play or petting session.

That Holiday Glow
Don’t leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Be sure to use appropriate candle holders, placed on a stable surface. And if you leave the room, put the candle out!

No Feasting for the Furries
By now you know not to feed your pets chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, but do you know the lengths to which an enterprising fur kid will go to chomp on something yummy? 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.

Careful with Cocktails
If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

A Room of Their Own
Give your pet his own quiet space to retreat to—complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle. Shy pups and cats might want to hide out under a piece of furniture, in their carrying case or in a separate room away from the hubbub.

Chocolate: Chocolate can cause extreme excitability that can lead to heart arrhythmia and ultimately heart failure in dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.

Xylitol: This sugar substitute can cause severe drops in blood sugar, which can cause seizures, and liver failure.

Rich food: The Easter ham or pork roast can cause pancreatitis, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea severe enough to require hospitalization.

Rotten eggs: Don’t forget to pick up spoiled Easter eggs left in the yard - they can make your pet very sick.

Easter grass: This stringy synthetic “grass” often found in Easter baskets can be very tempting to cats. But swallowing it can result in a linear foreign body that can severely upset the gastrointestinal tract and require surgery to extract.

Statistics show that preventable accidents are the leading cause of death among our pets, and according to the American Animal Hospital Association, 25% more pets could be saved if just one Pet First-Aid technique were applied prior to getting veterinary care, so don’t delay! Pet sitters, groomers and boarding attendants should also know these life-saving skills since they are your dogs guardian when you are away.

Holiday Pet Care Tips

1. Season’s eatings shouldn’t include holiday greenery such as holly, mistletoe, lilies and amaryllis.  While commonly used to deck the halls, they can make your pet sick if ingested.
2. Look before you light.  Lit candles produce fumes that can be harmful to birds if inhaled.  And don’t forget, your pet’s wagging tail can easily knock over a burning candle.  Liquid potpourri is also dangerous to pets, who could ingest it from decorative bowls and simmering pots.
3. Whoa, Christmas tree!  Their branches definitely delight pets, who’ve been known to chew on them and whatever decorations may be hanging from them.  Place small, breakable ornaments up high, and keep tinsel and garland out of your pet’s reach, as these can get caught in his throat.  And make sure that pine needles, which can be toxic, don’t get eaten.
4. Keep batteries loose and in packages away from pets.  They contain corrosives that can cause ulceration in your animal companion’s mouth, tongue and gastrointestinal tract if bitten or swallowed.
5. Shy animals can get stressed with the hustle and bustle of holiday guests, so make sure there’s a quiet room to which your pets can retreat.

The New Pet

Holidays are not the best time to introduce a new pet to the household. All the excitement, noise and deviation from the normal routine could make it difficult for a new pet—and any existing pets—to make the adjustment.

Pets as Gifts

Consider seriously the choice to give a pet as a gift. One of the main reasons animals are abandoned or taken to shelters is because they are unwanted. Don’t contribute to this situation by giving a pet to someone who may not want it or be able to care for it. If you do choose to give a pet as a gift, allow the recipient(s) to select the pet so that they can find one that is right for them.

Food, Alcohol, Chocolate & Treats

Keep holiday treats and candies out of your pet’s reach as they can make your pet quite sick. Candy wrappers can cause digestive upset if eaten.

Because alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, it affects pets quickly. Ingestion of alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature. Intoxicated animals can experience seizures and respiratory failure.
Potentially harmful foods include: coffee grounds, chocolate, tea, alcohol, hops, salt, onions and onion powder, grapes and raisins, avocado, garlic, and macadamia nuts.
Chocolate, can be toxic to pets, especially dogs, who are more prone to eat it. If your dog eats chocolate, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately, as treatment may need to be rendered immediately.

Guests

Pets can become overexcited, confused or frightened by holiday guests. Keep pets in a quiet part of the house. When guests are over, watch for open doors and make sure your pets have ID tags and/or microchips in case they do get out. Remind your guests that your normally friendly pet may want to be left alone.

Leftovers

Don’t feed your pet holiday turkey or chicken, as the small bones or fragments can lodge in the throat, stomach, or intestinal tract. Fatty leftovers such as turkey skin can trigger inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), a life threatening disease. At the very least, too much human food may give your pet an upset stomach.

Stress

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone, even your pets. Even though your routine might change, try to keep your pets on their normal routine of feeding and exercise. Some pets might not mind “dressing up” for Halloween, but, for others, it could be a stressful experience best avoided.

~ Staff at TagsforPets.com

Dogs are more likely than cats to join the party, but party food should be off the menu for dogs. The picnic table laden with summer treats is a buffet of hazards for Fido. Barbecued chicken, ribs and steaks all contain bones which can be splintered and lodged somewhere in the esophagus or intestine. Stuck bones can be a holiday-wrecking emergency requiring endoscopy or surgery for removal. Trash can-raiding dogs will eat corncobs and peach pits — two other commonly stuck food items.

The dessert and drink tables are no safer. Chocolate, whether in cake or brownies, should not be on your dog’s menu as chocolate is toxic to dogs. Even the fruit tray can be a problem. Grapes and raisins both cause kidney failure in dogs. Why dogs are so sensitive and humans are resistant to the effects of these fruits is unknown. The sweet taste of fruity summer drinks left unattended on the lawn is attractive to dogs, but alcoholic beverages are a no-no. A few sips of an alcoholic beverage by a small pup can easily result in intoxication.

Whether you spend this weekend in your backyard, the beach or the woods, fleas and ticks will be there too. These pesky creatures are still active this time of year spreading disease causing organisms to both people and pets by their bites. Many dogs are allergic to flea bites and will have their weekend ruined by itching if bitten by a flea, so don’t forget this month’s dose of flea and tick preventative. Have a fun and relaxing holiday weekend by keeping the pets and humans in your family safe and well.

Summer is often a time when people fertilize their lawns and work in their gardens. But beware: Plant food, fertilizer, and insecticides can be fatal if your pet ingests them. In addition, more than 700 plants can produce physiologically active or toxic substances in sufficient amounts to cause harmful effects in animals.

Stay Bite-Free

With people and dogs spending more time outside, dog bites are likely to increase in the summer months. Spaying or neutering your dog reduces the likelihood that he will bite and provides many other health benefits.

Pet Care 101

Make sure your pet is always wearing a collar and identification tag. If you are separated from your pet, an ID tag may very well be his or her ticket home.

Check with your veterinarian to see if your pets should be taking heartworm prevention medication. Heartworm disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, can be fatal in both dogs and cats. Another summertime threat is fleas and ticks. Use only flea and tick treatments recommended by your veterinarian. Some over-the-counter flea and tick products can be toxic, even when used according to instructions.

The ASPCA’s “Animal Poison Control Center” views on dyeing your pet green for St. Patrick’s Day is clear.  Don’t do it.  When asked “If, under any circumstances, is it safe to dye your pet green for St. Patrick’s Day?” Dr. Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president of ASPC’s Animal Poison Control Center, replied, “When dyeing animal fur, there is always a chance that animals may not tolerate odors or residues left by these products.  Further, they may not react favorably to the change in response that humans will exhibit when they encounter strangely colored pets, or they could have allergic reactions or eye irritation depending on the product formulation.”   So go ahead and indulge in all of that green fair, but please leave Fido the color he was born to be! (courtesy of the ASPCA)