The end of the year is always a hectic and festive time. The last thing anyone wants is to have an accident or illness during these happy times with family or pets. Unfortunately, this can be the busiest time of the year at a veterinary emergency service.
The following tips hopefully can help you prepare for the holidays with your pets and help keep them safe and healthy (and out of the ER).
Plan in advance
Just in case anything does happen, make sure you know which veterinary hospital is open after hours and on holidays in your area. Always keep these numbers posted or within reach or get their refrigerator magnet. These numbers can include: your veterinarian’s phone number, the nearest 24-hour veterinary emergency service phone and address, and the Pet Poison Hotline (855-764-7661).
Medications
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Make sure that you have enough of all your pet’s prescription medications to last you through the holidays, when your regular veterinarian may be closed. This can be medications such as insulin, needles and syringes, seizure medications, heart medications, and even tranquilizers or travel medications.
And speaking of medications, one of the most common calls to pet poison hotlines is dogs getting into human prescription or nonprescription drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, or anti-anxiety medications as well as marijuana. When guests arrive, please remind them not to leave any open purses or suitcases or easy access to bags filled with any drugs or medications, as dogs and cats can easily get into these and ingest the contents.
Food concerns
Family and friends often visit during the holidays, and they won’t be aware of your dog’s or cat’s particular health issues and dietary requirements. Tell everyone eating at your home, including children, of your dog’s or cat’s dietary restrictions. Additionally, always inform guests not to give any food to your pets that may be harmful or even toxic, such as onions, garlic, shallots, grapes or raisins, and chocolate.
This also includes unbaked yeast, which can cause issues for pets (including severe gas and pain possibly leading to life-threatening “bloat”) and pumpkin pie filling, which may contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Xylitol is also in many prepackaged baked goods, like cookies and cakes. Table scraps, especially foods containing a lot of fat or spices, are also dangerous, as are cooked poultry bones, because they can cause choking or blockage in the gastrointestinal tract.
Be sure to properly dispose of all food and keep in well-sealed or covered garbage containers, especially when no one is present in the kitchen or dining room.
Decorations
Poinsettias, amaryllis, balsam, pine, cedar and holly are among the common holiday plants that can be dangerous and, in some cases, even poisonous to pets that eat them. It’s important to note that all parts of most types of lilies are very toxic to cats. Homes with cats should never have lilies in them. Often, they are missed in floral arrangements or beds.
Water additives for Christmas trees can be hazardous if swallowed. Electric cords can be and often are bitten by dogs and cats, causing severe oral burns, electrocution or severe pulmonary lesions that could lead to death. Tinsel, ribbons, wreaths and hooks are a tempting challenge for cats and dogs but very dangerous, as they can cause choking or intestinal blockages. No pet should ever be left alone with a burning candle or oil lamp, as they can be knocked over, causing burns or even a house fire.
Potpourri should be placed out of reach of pets. Liquid potpourris have essential oils, which can cause severe damage and irritation to the skin, eyes, mouth and throat when in contact. Even dry potpourris have been known to cause problems when eaten.
Comfort
Make sure your pets are comfortable. Especially during holiday events, all pets should have a comfortable and quiet place to escape. If your cat or dog seems unduly stressed by company, consider placing them in a quiet, comfortable room by themselves, and check in on them every so often. They might appreciate the peace and quiet.
Additionally, make sure your pet doesn’t escape out of the house, as the holidays are one of the most common times this occurs. To prevent them getting lost, make sure your pet is properly identified by having it microchipped by your veterinarian, and make sure to have any recent changes in your phone or address updated by the registration center. If it’s not current, whoever finds your pet will not be able to locate you to return them to you.
Traveling with your pet
Make sure your pet is currently vaccinated, including boosters for any disease that your veterinarian or kennel/boarding facility requires, and that you have the proper documentation, such as a health certificate, well in advance of your travel date if traveling by plane. Bring the same food for your pet for at least a couple of days, and have an adequate amount of your pet’s medication on hand.
Pet-proof the holidays: 8 seasonal hazards and their pet-safe solutions
Pet-proof the holidays: 8 seasonal hazards and their pet-safe solutions
The winter holiday season is officially on the horizon. With it, the season promises cozy evenings spent with friends and family. Naturally, pets are a beloved part of their families, so, unsurprisingly, many cats and dogs are closely involved in these holiday celebrations.
But before families go all out with the decor, it’s worth taking a moment to consider safety. Many common holiday staples pose unique risks to the pets in your life. For instance, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that in 2021, it helped over 401,000 animals affected by accidental poisoning, electrocution, and other risks especially present this time of year.
Coupled with many pet parents being distracted by holiday entertaining or the chaos of preparing for family gatherings, accidentally exposing their pets to hazardous items can wreak potentially devastating effects.
Luckily, there are preventative measures that you can take to keep the cats and dogs in your life happy and healthy during the holidays, no matter how many hectic schedule changes come your way. To be extra prepared, save phone numbers for your veterinarian’s clinic, the ASPCA Poison Control Center (888-426-4435), and the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
To help keep your furry friends safe, Ollie compiled information from the ASPCA, FDA, and other accredited organizations on household hazards common to the holiday season and smart alternatives to keep your pets safe as you celebrate this year.
Tinsel, ribbon, and ornaments
As adorable as watching your pets play with holiday staples like ornaments, ribbons, and tinsel can be, they mustn’t ingest them. Chewing on these stringlike products can cause serious intestinal damage. If one end gets stuck, it can induce contractions that cause ribbons or tinsel to seriously damage pet intestines. Pets can quickly show symptoms, so look out for signs of vomiting, diarrhea, depression, pain in the belly, and fever.
Alcohol-infused goodies, chocolate
Alcohol-infused sweets are doubly dangerous for pets. Alcohol toxicity is a common pet poisoning that can occur due to ingestion, skin absorption, or inhalation. Although cats rarely eat enough chocolate to cause clinical symptoms because they do not have sweet taste buds, it contains two toxic components to dogs (caffeine and theobromine) that can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, and in more severe cases, coma and death.
Electric lights, candles, and oil lamps
Although cozy lighting can set the perfect holiday mood, be careful that the ones in your home don’t harm your fur babies. Wires from electric lights can deliver potentially lethal electric shocks. At the same time, an unattended candle could be knocked over by a pet’s paw or tail, causing a fire or potential burns. Meanwhile, the essential oils present in many oil lamps are typically dangerous for cats and can cause gastrointestinal upset or central nervous system depression. To be safe, opt for 100% beeswax candles and use an air purifier.
Medications
If you have loved ones visiting from out of town, remind them to keep medications out of sight and within reach of pets. Over-the-counter medications consistently rank among the top, if not the #1, pet toxin in the last few years, according to the ASPCA, with common medications like vitamins, ibuprofen, and supplements all posing a danger to your furry friends.
Table scraps
As tempting as it can be to give in to your pet when they’re begging to share your food, doing so can be deadly. Human food accounted for 16% of ASPCA’s poison control center calls last year. Foods often mistakenly ingested by pets include protein drinks and bars, xylitol gums, grapes, onions, and garlic. To stay safe, you can check the ASPCA’s complete list of hazardous foods beforehand.
Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Plants toxic to dogs or cats
Numerous plants traditionally associated with the winter holidays are unfortunately poisonous to pets, particularly cats and dogs. This includes American holly, poinsettias, and lilies. Luckily, the widespread availability of faux plants in stores and online can help you achieve a seasonal botanical look without risking your pets’ health.
Salt and yeast doughs
Keeping an eye on your cats and dogs during holiday baking is key. When ingested by pets, unbaked yeast dough can induce potentially dangerous bloating and painful gas. Baked goods with enough salt can also be easily mistaken for salty dog treats, causing your pets to ingest high levels of sodium, which can result in seizures or even death.
Vape devices and nicotine pouches
Nicotine patches and other tobacco products have the potential to cause severe vomiting, a decrease in blood pressure—and in extreme cases—death. Meanwhile, the amount of nicotine in the ASPCA reports that e-cigarette liquids used to recharge e-cigarettes and vapes have enough nicotine in them to kill a dog if its contents are ingested. To keep your pets safe, keep all of your tobacco products out of their reach.
