The Christmas Season is in full swing!
The Christmas Season is in full swing! What would the holiday be without including our furry family members in the festivities? Please keep a few things in mind as you dress Fido in his Santa cap and untangle that string of LED lights Fifi may have been playing with while you broke open the box of Christmas decorations.
🎅Rambunctious and playful pets can wreak havoc on a Christmas tree that isn't securely anchored. Be sure your tree won't easily tip or fall if bumped as this could cause injury to your pet.
🎅 Watch out for tree water! It's that is not intended for pets to drink and often has fertilizers in it. Stagnant water breeds bacteria that can cause GI distress to your pet.
🎅Be sure the Mistletoe is hung high where pets won't be tempted to chew on it. It can also cause stomach upset as well has heart problems if ingested by pets. Plants like Holly and a variety of lilies also have toxic effects to our four-legged friends.
🎅Tinsel and all the sparkling decorations can be tantalizing, especially to playful kitties. Dogs and cats alike are prone to playful biting. Swallowing these items they mistake for toys leads to problems including obstruction of the GI tract.
🎅Watch out for wires and cords that may serve as an easy target for pets to gnaw on. They can deliver quite a shock that could result in death. Batteries are also a danger and should be kept out of pets' reach.
🎅As mentioned in last month's Thanksgiving blog, be careful of holiday food dangers! Avoid chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol and remember pets will go to great lengths to get ahold of something yummy! Keep an eye on your table, counters, garbage bins, and plates!
🎅When giving gifts to pets, make sure that chew toys are indestructible or designed to be safely digestible. Avoid strings and ribbons and anything with loose parts even though these may be attractive attention getters, especially for cats. They become dangerous foreign bodies if swallowed and often require surgery to remove.
🎅 With parties and guests be sure to give your pet a quite place to retreat and be aware of those New Year's Eve fireworks that petrify some pets. If you need to get medications for your pet's noise anxiety before hand, please do so. Make sure all human medications are locked away and be sure to tell house guests not to leave such things out where pets could reach.
🎅The American Veterinary Medical Association published this fun schematic I'd like to share.
https://www.avma.org/public/Documents/7holidaypetdonts.pdf
🎅Just in case something unforeseeable should happen and you need advice, here are the numbers to the ASPCA (Animal Poison Control) hotline and the Pet Poison Helpline which both require a credit card when you call. 888-426-4435 855-764-7661
In closing I'd like to say a huge Thank You to all our wonderful clients who have been dropping off Christmas cheer in a variety of fun and delicious ways, and for your support with our annual pet food drive! I am thankful for all of you and wish you a safe and Merry Christmas!
