The holiday decorations, the lights, the presents, the decadent foods! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or “Chrismukkah,” this season truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Your pets will also be intrigued by the merry festivities. to ensure that they also enjoy the celebrations, follow The Meowing Vet’s 7 simple holiday safety tips to keep your dogs and cats out of harm’s way this season.

 

Gift your pet-loving friends and family (as well as your own dogs and cats) with the perfect present! Our ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Pets and Pet Lovers is sure to wow everyone on your list this year. Order soon… Just a few more shopping days left!

 

1. Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah, come light the menorah!

The soft glow of a flickering flame from a menorah, The Seven Candles of Kwanzaa, or Christmas candles in your windowsill add holiday cheer to your home. But the paw of your mischievous cat or the wagging tail of your happy-go-lucky pup may cause candles to topple over, resulting in house fires or burns to your pet. So keep your pets away from such flames as well as fireplaces whereby chestnuts are roasting in order to prevent such injuries.

2. Jack Frost nipping at your nose ⛄

If the weather outside is frightful, keep your pet indoors to protect him or her from potential hypothermia or frostbite. And if your pet is outside for extended periods of time during cold weather, be sure to read our previous article on cold weather safety tips for your dog or cat. This write-up also explains the importance of keeping your pet away from antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and why you should always check for stray cats hiding around your vehicle before starting your car.

Click here to read our article on pet safety tips in cold weather. ❄️

3. Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!

To an inquisitive doggie or kitty, a Christmas tree looks like a jungle gym. New sights, new smells, dangling objects… you get the picture. In order to keep your pet (and your holiday decorations) safe, take precautions for your dog or cat around your decor. Broken glass ornaments can cause cuts if stepped upon and can be even more hazardous if broken pieces are ingested, potentially causing oral abrasions, cuts or perforations to the GI tract, and life-threatening bleeding. Prevent your pets from pulling on or chewing holiday lights to reduce the risk of them becoming tangled, electrocuted, or from pulling the Christmas tree on top of them.

Sarah Roller of Prestige Pet-Sitting Agencies, LLC, a professional pet-sitting and dog-walking company based in the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia (U.S.), advises pet owners to arrange Christmas tree lights in a vertical rather than circumferential fashion on the tree to reduce the chances of your pet pulling down the entire tree with a tug of the lights. Roller also recommends twisting ornament hooks around both the ornament and tree branch when hanging them to keep these baubles from crashing at the whack of your cat’s batting paw. Hear other holiday tips from Prestige Pet-Sitting Agencies in this local news clip from WXFR in Roanoke, VA.

4. Santa puts these festive plants on his naughty list.

Nothing says Christmas to me like a gorgeous tree, especially a live one to fill the air with its lovely pine aroma. And the vibrant reds or pinks of poinsettias!!! Oh, and of course a romantic kiss under some mistletoe! However, many holiday plants can be toxic to pets if ingested. Most simply cause mild gastrointestinal upset, but some can be lethal, so keep the following plants out of your pet’s reach this holiday season.

• Christmas trees: Whether you have a live pine, fir, spruce, or cedar tree, the ingestion of fallen tree needles can be very irritating to the GI tract of your pet, resulting in salivation, decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea that may last up to 2 days. The sap of these trees can cause similar GI issues. However, the most toxic part of the tree is the reservoir water, especially to cats, so be sure to prevent your pet from drinking water at the base of your tree, and refresh it often. Fortunately, your dog or cat’s prognosis is extremely good for recovering from ingestion of live Christmas tree products. In addition to a bit of TLC, your pet may benefit from anti-nausea medications or subcutaneous fluid administration (fluids given under the skin in the case of dehydration) from your veterinarian.
• Holly: The consumption of English holly by your pet is likely to cause the same GI problems as for Christmas trees. Additionally, the sharp points of holly leaves can also cause temporary damage to the GI tract.
• Mistletoe: Mistletoe can also cause GI upset in your dog or cat, especially the berries, which are the most toxic component of this “kissing” plant.
• Poinsettias: Though the danger of poinsettia ingestion is not as severe as was once thought, consuming the milky sap of these lovely plants can also lead to mild GI issues. Just in case, keep these plants out of reach of your curious dog or cat.
• Christmas cactus: I’m sounding like a bit of a broken record here, but yep, you guessed it: eating the leaves of Christmas cacti (also known as the crab’s claw cactus) can also cause mild GI signs in your pet.
• Amaryllis: These pretty plants can cause tremors in addition to GI issues: vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, excessive drooling, and abdominal pain.
• Christmas kalanchoe: The most toxic of all the holiday plants, Christmas kalanchoe (which may feature red, pink, yellow, or orange flowers) can cause serious heart problems in addition to irritation of the GI tract. The toxin of Christmas kalanchoe is a type of cardiac glycoside, a poison that interferes with the normal electrical impulses and pumping action of the heart. After ingesting kalanchoe, your dog or cat may show signs of illness in as early as 1-8 hours and be ill for up to 2 days. Initially, your pet will exhibit signs of GI distress such as salivation, decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea (which is often bloody). Later, your pet will also show signs of toxicity to the heart: initially a slow heart rate (but which may later become fast with an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm) and difficulty breathing (dyspnea); these signs occur due to bleeding around the heart, death of myocardial fibers (heart muscle), and the development of fluid around the heart, lungs, or in the abdominal cavity. Additionally, your pet may walk in a weak, uncoordinated manner (ataxia), experience muscle tremors, have dilated pupils (mydriasis), or urinate more frequently (polyuria). Your veterinarian will likely run bloodwork (showing a high potassium level) and perform an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to aid in his or her diagnosis of kalanchoe poisoning and to ascertain the severity of toxicity. Your pet may require hospitalization with heart-stabilizing drugs, anti-nausea medications, and fluids to regulate both the cardiovascular and GI systems. If your dog or cat is severely affected, your vet may also recommend a drug known as Digibind® in an attempt to bind the toxin, though studies are inconclusive as to whether or not this medication is actually beneficial in cases of kalanchoe toxicity. (Be prepared, for this drug can be quite expensive!) If detected and treated promptly, prognosis is overall good. However, without proper veterinary attention, prognosis can be poor and result in the death of your dog or cat. ❤️

If you suspect that your pet has ingested these plants or other potential poisons, contact your local veterinarian immediately or else call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at 1-888-426-4435 (fees may apply).

Plants on THE NAUGHTY LIST:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spring is just around the corner! Learn what other seasonal plants and mushrooms can be toxic to pets in The Meowing Vet’s article on Spring safety tips.

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5. To cats, holiday decorations really do create a winter wonderland.

As already addressed, pets can become injured from chewing holiday lights, stepping on or swallowing broken glass ornaments, or from toppling over the Christmas tree. Cats especially are at risk of harm during the holidays due to their climbing instincts (hello, Christmas tree!) and high prey-drive for attacking moving, glittering objects such as tinsel, a string of lights, or a twirling dreidel. Plus, your feline companion will be all too happy to knock down your stockings hung by the chimney with care.

Cats are also more likely to be intrigued by presents, attempting to “assist” you in wrapping your gifts or remove the dangling ribbons from your already meticulously wrapped presents. Ribbons and other bits of string can cause a life-threatening linear foreign body in both cats and dogs if swallowed, causing the intestines to bunch up like an accordion around the ingested string with each peristalsis movement (motion of the muscular lining of the GI tract to push ingested contents forward). The intestines can bunch up so tightly that their blood supply is cut off, causing sections of the GI tract to die and potentially perforate, resulting in a life-threatening emergency requiring hospitalization and surgery (to both remove the linear foreign body and perhaps to remove the segment of dead intestine and reconnect the health portions by a procedure called resection and anastamosis, or R&A). If you do see the end of a string that your pet has swallowed, whatever you do, DO NOT pull on it! Seek veterinary assistance immediately! So do yourself and your pet a favor by monitoring them closely around holiday decorations and gifts. A trip to the veterinary emergency room on Christmas Day is no fun for anyone.

6. Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads… and chocolate… and turkey.

I feel as stuffed as my gift-laden stocking following an extravagant holiday meal. However, your dogs and cats are best off sticking to their regular diet this time of year as many human foods may be toxic to pets or induce GI upset or pancreatitis. The ingestion of rich, fatty foods (such as ham, meat greases, or eggnog) can trigger pancreatitis, a painful inflammatory condition of the pancreas (the organ that makes digestive enzymes and insulin for blood sugar regulation). Pancreatitis promotes the pancreas to start (in a manner of speaking) digesting itself, leading to severe pain and gastrointestinal distress with potential long-lasting effects of surrounding organ injury and diabetes mellitus. In an article on the website for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), Dr. Adam Hechko explained the signs of pancreatitis to watch out for in your pet (decreased appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea). If you observe these signs in your pet, consult your veterinarian ASAP for prompt treatment as rare cases of pancreatitis may progress to death.

Dr. Hechko also addressed tips to reduce this risk during the holiday season, including asking guests not to feed table scraps to your pet and to keep garbage bags out of your dog or cat’s reach. (Keep candy-stuffed stockings out of reach too!) Additionally, pets should not be fed other toxic human foods such as chocolate, onions or garlic, grapes or raisins, bread dough, macadamia nuts, raw meats, dairy products, coffee, alcohol, or sugar-free gum containing xylitol. Dr. Hechko advised feeding a low-calorie pet treat if you simply can’t resist spoiling your doggie or kitty a little over the holidays.

Read more about human foods that are toxic to pets here.

7. ‘Tis the season of giving.

The best gift of all that you can give to a pet this Christmas or Hanukkah is the gift of a forever home to a shelter dog or cat. Before heading to the pet store to buy your loved one a dog or cat, I implore you to adopt from a shelter or humane society instead. Adopting my lab mix, Magnolia, from my local shelter just after Christmas in 2011 was the best holiday decision I have ever made; she has brought such joy to my household!

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 7.6 million pets enter U.S. shelters each year, with over 96% being dogs or cats. Sadly, 2.7 million of these animals are euthanized annually due to lack of permanent homes. If you or your loved one has decided to invite a dog or cat in need into your home and are prepared for the lifelong care of this pet and the expenses that come with being a responsible pet owner (including vaccines and other means of preventative medicine for dogs and cats), consider adopting a shelter animal this holiday season by consulting your local shelter or humane society. Adopt, don’t shop this holiday season.

 

Gift your pet-loving friends and family (as well as your own dogs and cats) with the perfect present! Our ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Pets and Pet Lovers is sure to wow everyone on your list this year. Order soon… Just a few more shopping days left!

 

These 7 simple holiday pet safety tips will help your beloved dog or cat have a wonderful life this jubilant holiday season. Do you have more questions about your pet’s health? Feel free to contact us. And follow The Meowing Vet on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to stay up-to-date with our articles and fun pet videos.

A thank you to our readers…

Thank you so much for reading and sharing our articles! I tremendously appreciate your viewership, which has been incredible since our website launched in June 2016. And thank you for your efforts and kindness towards cats, dogs, and other animals in need. The Meowing Vet will return in the new year with more informative and fun veterinary articles. In the meantime, I wish each and every one of you Happy Holidays! See you in January 2017!

– Maranda Elswick, DVM

(and baby Magnolia!)