Behavior Tip of the Month
Common Holiday Pet Hazards
Every year at this time I offer a list of the most common holiday hazards for pets: feeding problems, foreign-body ingestion and accidental poisoning.
Ornaments, too, are 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, and the whole tree can come down on the cat that climbs in its branches. The best way to handle the situation is by making the tree off-limits to your pets unless you're there to watch and keep them out of trouble.
Poisonings. Holiday plants such as mistletoe may look intriguing to your pet, but they're also toxic, as are the bulbs of the amaryllis plant. (Long the poster child for holiday poisoning, the falsely maligned poinsettia can be safely welcomed into the pet lover's home.) And before you share your holiday candy with your pet, be aware that chocolate is toxic to dogs, and may be deadly to the little dog who gets a good-sized piece. Again, the best cure is prevention. Keep all dangerous plants out of the reach of your pets, and keep the candy dish available to people only.
It doesn't take much to keep your pet out of trouble this holiday season, if you use just a little common sense. Instead of seeing your veterinarian in person with a sick pet in tow, send a card!