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Holiday Hazards for Pets

As the holidays descend upon us, risks for your companion animals increase and can reduce the season merriment. 

While you may get busy making holiday arrangements and planning parties, it is important to try to keep your pet’s eating and exercise habits as close to their normal routine as possible. Keeping your pets away from toxic treats is also essential as well as dangerous decorations.

Be Careful with Seasonal Plants and Decorations

Holiday Hazards for Pets

Things to watch out for:

cat playing with candles

Avoid Holiday Food Dangers

food hazards for pets

Skip the Sweets: Most owners know that chocolate is bad for pets. But the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause severe side effects. Pets may go to extraordinary lengths to put tasty things in their mouths and swallow. In addition, fatty foods (or regular people food) can cause intestinal upset as well as pancreatic inflammation, called pancreatitis.

Keep pets away from your table. Fatty, spicy and no-no human foods, as well as bones, should not be fed to your furry friends. Pets can join the festivities in other fun ways that won’t lead to costly medical bills.

Leave the Leftovers: Fatty, spicy and no-no human foods, as well as bones, should not be fed to your furry friends. Pets can join the festivities in other fun ways that won’t lead to costly medical bills.

Careful with Cocktails: If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, make sure unattended alcoholic drinks are placed where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure. Emergency treatment is needed!

Pet-friendly stocking stuffers: Looking to stuff your pet’s stockings? Stick with chew toys that are basically indestructible, Kongs that can be stuffed with healthy foods or chew treats that are designed to be safely digestible. Long, stringy things are a feline’s dream, but the most risky toys for cats involve ribbon, yarn and loose little parts that can get stuck in the intestines, often necessitating surgery. Surprise kitty with a new ball that’s too big to swallow, a stuffed catnip toy or the interactive cat dancer.

Lilies: A common pretty flower found in many holiday arrangements. This flower is highly toxic to cats and can cause life-threatening kidney failure if ingested

Plan a Pet-Safe Holiday Gathering

Always Be Prepared !!!!

spca animal control center

Your animal may become poisoned in spite of your best efforts to prevent it. You should keep telephone numbers for your veterinarian, a local emergency veterinary service, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 1-888-4ANI-HELP (1-888-426-4435, for a fee) in a convenient location. If you suspect that your pet has ingested something poisonous, seek medical attention immediately.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
1-888-4ANI-HELP (for a fee)
1-888-426-4435
www.apcc.aspca.org

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, an operating division of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a unique, emergency hotline providing 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week telephone assistance to veterinarians and pet owners.

The Center’s hotline veterinarians can quickly answer questions about toxic substances found in our everyday surroundings that can be dangerous to animals. 

Veterinary professionals provide around-the-clock, on-site coverage of the Center. The phone number of the Center is 1-888-4ANI-HELP (1-888-426-4435) and the website is www.apcc.aspca.org.

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