Holiday Pet Hazards

Holiday Pet Hazards

The holidays are an exciting time of year both for your family and your pets, which is why we would like to help you avoid holiday pet hazards and sudden trips to our emergency veterinarian.

Common Holiday Dangers

Certain holiday foods and decorations pose dangers to cats and dogs, including chocolate, Xylitol, poinsettias, lilies, tinsel and ribbon. Chocolate is present in many holiday foods from candies and hot chocolate to cakes and cookies. Dogs and cats both react badly to chocolate. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of balance, muscles spasms and kidney and heart failure.

Xylitol is an artificial sugar, and it is found in many sugar-free candies and desserts. It causes a sudden drop in blood sugar, liver failure and death if left untreated, and it is more harmful to small dogs than large dogs.

Poinsettias, lilies, holly and mistletoe are all dangerous plants for pets. eating the stems, leaves, roots or berries of these plants can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, dilated eyes and liver, kidney and heart failure. Poinsettias are the least toxic of the four, but suspected ingestion of any holiday plant should warrant a trip to our animal hospital.

Tinsel and ribbon are favorite playthings of cats. They love to bat it around, chew on it and eat it. Unfortunately, the long strings can become stuck in the cat’s intestines, causing cuts and blockages.

Veterinary Care for Accident Poisoning and Ingestion of Holiday Decorations

If you suspect that your dog or cat has eaten a holiday decoration or dangerous food, call our animal hospital at 919-490-2000 for further instructions. All accidental pet poisonings should be taken very seriously. If you see chewed up packaging, plants or food, make a note of it and tell our veterinarian what you think your pet ate. This will help in making the correct diagnosis and effectively treating the poisoning.

How are you keeping your pets safe from accidental poisonings this season?