Pet Care Tips: Holidays Include Hazards For
Your Pet
While you are busy making your festive plans
for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas,
please don't forget to include your pets. The
holidays are a time for giving, but there are
some things you should not share with your
little best friends. Once you know the
hazards, a little precaution and prevention
will make holidays a happy time for everyone.
Some of the more common holiday hazards
include:
Bones: The holiday turkey or chicken will
leave a lot of tantalizing bones, but don't
feed them to your pet. Beware of steak bones,
too. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in
the throat, stomach, and intestinal tract.
Fat: Those wonderful potato latkes (watch the
hot oil!), gravies, and poultry skin can
cause severe gastrointestinal upset as well.
Holiday plants: Holly and mistletoe are
extremely poisonous when eaten. The lovely
poinsettia may not be truly poisonous, but
its milky white sap and leaves can certainly
cause severe gastric distress. With so many
hybrid varieties available each year, the
best approach is to keep the plants out of
your pet's reach.
Electrical cords: Holiday lights mean more
electrical cords for kittens and puppies to
chew. Be sure you have cords secured and out
of the way.
Candles: Lighted candles should never be left
unattended and that is even more important if
left at kitty's eye level or within puppy's
chewing zone. An exuberant tail, a swat of a
paw, and candles and hot wax can quickly
become disastrous. Anchor candles securely
and away from curious faces and feet.
Pine needles: Check around holiday trees and
boughs frequently. Ingested pine needles can
puncture your pet's intestines if sharp
enough.
Holiday tree: Make sure your tree is well
secured. If you have a tree-climbing cat or
large dog with a happy tail, anchor the top
of the tree to the wall, using strong cord or
rope. Preservatives often used in the water
in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets, so
be sure it is inaccessible or not used. Avoid
sugar and aspirin additives in the water as
well.
Ornaments: Sharp or breakable ornaments,
dreidels, and even aluminum foil should be
kept out of reach. String objects, especially
tinsel and ribbons, are to be safeguarded at
all costs. They are thin and sharp and can
wrap around intestines or ball up in the
stomach.
Stress and company: With everyone coming and
going, watch out for open doors and sneaky
pets. Make sure your pets have collars and
tags on in case of escape. Ask guests to keep
an eye out for pets under foot and remind
them that sometimes your normally friendly
dog or cat may be less than willing to deal
with enthusiastic children and rooms full of
unfamiliar people. Provide a special quiet
place with a blanket and fresh water for your
pets to retreat to when the festivities get
too stressful.
Did you know that some caged birds are afraid
of the dark? Try a night light or leaving the
front of the cage uncovered.
Before traveling with your pets, make sure
they have all required vaccinations and
health papers. If they are on medications,
have enough to last through the trip.
When traveling by air, be aware of airline
restrictions regarding outside temperature
and number of animals allowed per flight.
Someone may have already booked a pet, and
there are no more allowed. Check with the
airline reservations or travel agent.
Remember that even the most gentle and
trusting pet may bite when in pain. If you
must muzzle, use a soft towel or cloth strips
and remove it as soon as possible so the pet
can breathe more easily.
Beef-flavored toothpaste? Sounds pretty
awful, but it's just one of a number of
specially formulated pastes for pets. Never
use human toothpaste: it irritates a pet's
stomach.
http://www.healthypet.com/Library/care-6.html
When we take the responsibility of owning a
pet, we should consider taking them for their
life time. They're not just a novelty to be
enjoyed and tossed aside. They give their
love so un-conditionally and all they ask in
return is to be loved back. Not only are
they good company but are fantastic for nerve
therapy. They can be such a comfort to us.
They have a way of tuning in to our moods and
know when we need that extra attention. I
think its one of the most wonderful gifts
that God put upon this earth for us to enjoy.
So take the time to enjoy. You'll be so
thank-ful you did. :-)
you can paste this into your browser to go to the National Animal Poison Control Center
http://www.napcc.aspca.org/