By Andrea S. Freeman, VMD, MS
As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, many pet owners naturally want to include their beloved four-legged and furry family members in the festivities. This can be great fun for all, but here are just a few tips to keep your pet safe, healthy, and happy during the holidays.
When You Have to Travel: Holiday travel can be stressful for pets. Prior to travel make sure that your pet has had a recent veterinary examination and is healthy enough to travel. Some pets also benefit from prescription medications to reduce anxiety and motion sickness which you may want to discuss with your veterinarian. Also, make sure that your contact information is up-to-date on all pet ID tags and with microchip registries. Most pets go missing or get injured during the holidays either by jumping out of vehicles before someone has a good handle on their leash or because doors are left open more frequently as guests come and go. Even pets that might not usually attempt to escape the home through an open door may be more likely to flee due to anxiety brought about during busy holiday gatherings.
Holiday Decorations: Many holiday decorations pose a threat to pet health and safety. Glittery, sparkly and shiny ornaments are particularly attractive to cats and may be accidentally ingested. Glass ball ornaments on a Christmas tree can be easily mistaken for balls by dogs who carry or chew on them, leading to ingestion of shards of glass. Curious pets, especially cats, may be prone to investigate or knock over holiday candles, particularly when they are lit. Strands of lights and the extra electrical cords that often accompany these and other holiday decorations may also be tempting for cats and some dogs to chew on. To reduce the risk of electrical shock or fire, you should unplug these prior to leaving the home or ensure that pets are securely locked out of areas with candles and cords when not under direct supervision.
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When Gifts Are Exchanged: Festive gift wrap with bows and ornaments can draw attention to holiday gifts and as a result, may be destroyed or ingested by pets. Curling ribbon is particularly attractive to cats, however, if ingested can cause severe intestinal damage due to its sharp edges and propensity to get caught in the intestinal tract. Also, be careful not to leave tasty holiday treats within reach of pets. Growing up, my elderly grandmother used to wrap boxes of chocolate for each of us and put them under the tree with tags signed by Santa. Despite reminders not to do so, Grandma commonly forgot. Our family’s Westie never failed to sniff out those boxes and eagerly consume their contents. Chocolate toxicity and subsequent emergency treatment practically became an annual tradition for her. Thankfully we always got her to the ER in time, but the outcome could have been grave had we not. Later in life, while working many holiday emergency shifts as a veterinarian I found Grandma wasn’t the only one. I also found myself on more than one occasion performing surgery to repair serious bite wounds on family dogs who had gotten into fights over treats. One particular case involved owners who had purchased a three-foot-long rawhide bone complete with a big red bow for both of their dogs to share. The size of the bone was more than enough for both dogs, but the owners somewhat naively expected the dogs would actually share. Although the dogs got along extremely well on a daily basis, sharing such a high-value treat was way too much to expect of them. Even in a normally harmonious home, pets should be safely separated by gates or in crates where they can safely enjoy special treats without the threat of competition.
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When People Food is Shared: It’s hard to resist sharing holiday meals with our furry family members when their keen noses have sniffed them out and longing puppy dog eyes look up at you from beside the table. But many holiday foods are toxic to our pets including chocolate, onions, raisins, macadamia nuts, yeast dough, and fruit pits. Given that most pets eat the same thing every day, the sudden introduction of any new food can lead to stomach upset. Fatty meats and cooked bones can also be particularly dangerous and can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, pancreatitis, and even intestinal obstruction, which can be potentially life-threatening. If you really want to share a holiday meal with your pet, it is best to cook them their own lean, white meat skinless, boneless, turkey or chicken breast and serve a very small portion of this with a small amount of rice, boiled white potato or sweet potato without butter. They’ll stay healthy, enjoy their special holiday meal, and most importantly, enjoy their time with you.
