Seasonal Safety
Keeping pets safe this holiday season can be trying. With all the different types of food and decorations that pets can get into, some people spend good parts of many holidays in after-hours veterinary clinics. Often times those trips could have been prevented by some holiday awareness. Here at Ash Veterinary Clinic, we want to remind you of what to look out for in the weeks to come.
The first holiday of the season is fast approaching and here is a handy tip for Thanksgiving Day. Don’t share the goodies! We love to share food with our pets, and what better time to do it than on Thanksgiving? The problem is, foods that are too rich, too fatty or too spicy — or anything your pet is not accustomed to — can trigger a bout of intestinal upset. For some animals, the treat can trigger a serious inflammation of the pancreas or intestine, and that means a life-threatening illness.
What to avoid? Anything that you would not eat, your pet should avoid, too. While a little bit of lean meat — beef or poultry – can be added to your pet’s meal, stay clear of the fatty parts and poultry skin. Remember too, absolutely no gravy! While you are waiting for the Thanksgiving feast to begin, do not share the appetizers with your pets either. Also, make sure to put the sweets in festive holiday bowls out of reach, so your pets do not help themselves. Put leftovers away quickly so that counter surfing pets cannot reach. Make sure to put your full garbage bags outside so your pet does not rip into them looking for a treat.
A good place to start for the Christmas holiday is the Christmas tree. This popular sign of the season is full of hazards for dogs and cats. Tinsel can be an appealing target for play, but if ingested, it can twist up the intestines and may need to be surgically removed. This is a particular danger to cats and kittens, which seem to find tinsel, along with yarn, ribbon and string, especially appealing to eat.
Ornaments can be deadly in the mouths and stomachs of pets, and even the water at the base of the tree contains secretions that can at the very least cause a stomachache. Light strings are no good for chewing, as we see animals on emergency from being electrocuted. Also, the whole tree can come down on the cat climbing in its branches or the dog jumping on it. Some dogs may even be inclined to break the rules of house-training on a freshly cut tree. Why else, they reason, would anyone bring a tree into the house? The best way to keep your pets out of tree trouble is by making the tree off-limits unless you are there to supervise. Put the tree in a room with a door you can close or blocking off the treat is reasonable.
How about holiday greenery? Holiday plants such as mistletoe may look intriguing to your pet, but they are also toxic. Poinsettias are also toxic and can make your pet very ill. Cats especially are of concern because they tend to chew on plants more than dog.
The best way to keep your pet safe this holiday season is to look at everything new that is in your house for the holidays and figure out the best way to keep it out of the mouths and paws of your pets. Every year we caution our clients of the most common holiday hazards for pets, including foreign-body ingestion and accidental poisoning. The bad news is that many pets will end up at our office this holiday season. The good news is that yours will not be among them if you keep an eye out for these hazards. If you have any questions on how to keep your pet safe this holiday season, please contact us at Ash Veterinary Clinic in Carleton at 734-782-2827, email us at ashvet2012@gmail.com or visit us online at www.ashveterinaryclinic.com.
