Keep pets safe during holiday season

Photo By Sgt. Grace L. Waladkewics | Pets can unwittingly get themselves in trouble during the holiday season. A few simple precautions can keep your pet safe and healthy.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT , NC, UNITED STATES

12.18.2013

Courtesy Story

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

CHERRY POINT, N.C. - The holiday season is an exciting time of year with family gatherings, beautiful decorations and an abundance of delicious food. Naturally many want to include beloved pets in the festivities, but many holiday items and treats are potentially harmful to pets. Wonderful holiday moments can quickly become dangerous situations, resulting in injury or illness and costly veterinary expenses. As you celebrate, use the following tips to keep your pet safe and healthy:

Christmas trees
• Place trees in areas inaccessible to pets. Stabilize your tree by anchoring it to the floor and ensure the tree stand is the proper size to support your tree to avoid the possibility of a curious or playful pet knocking it over.
• Pine needles, from live or artificial trees, can puncture the intestinal lining or cause diarrhea and vomiting if ingested. Vacuum or sweep around the tree often to keep debris to a minimum.
• Avoid hanging food items such as popcorn or candy canes, as they tend to enhance temptation.
• Glass or metal ornaments can cause trauma to the mouth and limbs and should be positioned higher on the tree.
• Do not use tinsel or yarn to decorate, especially if you have kittens. Kittens are naturally intrigued by these items, which can cause choking or intestinal tract blockage.
• Packing materials such as Styrofoam and ribbons can pose choking hazards. Many of these materials also contain toxic ingredients. Use the same precautions with children’s toys that may result in similar injuries.
• It is best to adhere loose Christmas lights or extension cords to the wall or floor to minimize injury. A curious cat can easily become entangled in a string of lights. Puppies, who naturally like to chew, are at a high risk of electrocution if they chew on lights or electrical cables.
• Keep holiday plants out of reach of your pets. Holly and mistletoe are extremely toxic and it is best to keep these plants out of your home entirely if you own pets. Lilies, poinsettia and hibiscus plants are mildly toxic but can cause gastrointestinal upset.
Winter climate
• Do not leave your pets exposed to winter weather conditions. Although avoiding extremely low temperatures is common sense, it is important to realize that prolonged exposure to cold and wet conditions, even in milder temperatures, can have the same medical effects. Prolonged exposure can lead to severe medical conditions, such as hypothermia, as easily as a shorter exposure to more extreme conditions. Always provide your pets with a warm, dry environment during winter.
Parties and visitors
• Extra activity and the excitement can lead to stress in your pets. Since many pets do not adapt well to change, it is important to maintain your pets’ daily routine. Keeping feeding and exercise times on schedule can help maintain your pet’s sense of security amid the extra activity surrounding the holidays.
• During holiday parties or family gatherings keep pets in a safe area, away from exits and entryways to prevent them from getting out the house.
• Be cautious of the interactions between your pets and guests to avoid a potential bite incident, especially with young children who may not know how to interact safely with animals. Even the friendliest animal can bite or scratch when stressed or threatened.
Holiday feasts
• As much as we would like to share our holiday feast with our beloved pets, it is better to refrain from including them in this tradition. Every effort should be taken to keep pets away from the holiday feast. According to Dr. Adrian Boe, a veterinarian at the Cherry Point Veterinary Treatment Facility, “Gastrointestinal problems are one of the most common medical issues treated during the holiday season. The best advice I can offer to pet owners is to refrain from feeding table scraps to your pets.”
• Many popular holiday ingredients can result in severe medical consequences if pets consume them. Chocolate contains toxins which can lead to a variety of medical issues ranging from mild to severe stomach irritation, seizures and death. Because every pet is different and many factors such as size, weight and age can further exacerbate complications, it is best to avoid chocolate altogether. Even one small piece of chocolate can cause serious illness or death for a small dog.
• Grapes, raisins, nuts, onions and alcoholic beverages can cause digestive upset, organ failure and death if consumed in large quantities. Uncooked dough is also a concern as it can expand within the digestive tract and lead to bloat which is a serious emergency medical condition.
• Many foods are high in fat content, especially meat scraps and drippings, which can lead to vomiting and diarrhea due to pancreatitis; an extremely painful medical condition requiring emergency intervention. Even one fatty meal can produce a sudden onset of pancreatitis, so it is best to avoid these foods completely.
• Do not feed poultry bones to pets. These bones are brittle and splinter easily, potentially causing choking, mouth and throat trauma and intestinal tract damage.
• Do not leave food on countertops. Because some pets will go to extreme measures to reach the item of their desire, counter surfing can lead to injury from falling objects or hot food.
Emergency contact information
• Emergencies never seem to happen at convenient times, so maintain an updated list of emergency contact numbers that can be quickly retrieved. This list should include your routine veterinarian, an emergency after-hours clinic and Animal Poison Control.

Following these simple tips during the holiday season will minimize the potential for dangerous and costly situations. The most important gift you can give your family and beloved pets is to keep them safe during the holiday season.

• Date Taken: 12.18.2013
• Date Posted: 12.19.2013 08:51
• Story ID: 118440
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT , NC, US