Common Holiday Hazards

Everyone’s in celebration mode during the holidays. Although your dog should certainly take part in the fun, it’s best if he doesn’t partake in any seasonal fare. For a happy holiday be aware of seasonal hazards — and take measures to protect your dog.

From the feast

Don’t feed him anything he’s not used to. It may smell great, and you may feel guilty for indulging when he can’t, but remember this: Variety is not the spice of a dog’s life. When it comes to diet, dogs thrive on consistency.

Having nuts, chocolates, and alcohol around the house for guests during the holidays is typical. But small amounts of these items, especially if you have a small dog, may not only be dangerous, but potentially deadly. So be sure to keep everything out of his reach.

Avoid giving your dog anything too rich, fatty, or spicy. Turkey and gravy, a bit of ham, a chunk of fruitcake — what could it hurt? Well, a best case scenario might be a bit of intestinal distress. But in some cases, holiday treats can lead to an inflamed pancreas or intestine. And this could mean a serious medical emergency.

Trees & decorations

The Christmas tree is ripe with hazards for your dog. Tinsel and angel hair can be beautiful, but if ingested, may wind up entangled in the intestines, and cause dangerous blockages.

Some ornaments are potentially lethal in your dog’s mouth and stomach; strings of lights can electrocute, shock, and burn if chewed on (cover or hide them); and the water that builds up at the base of your tree can cause a nasty stomachache.

The sap or preservatives of live trees like pine, cedar, balsam, and fir may be mildly toxic, causing mouth or stomach upset. The needles are dangerous if he eats them; they can’t be digested and may puncture his intestines. If your dog has a curious nature, try placing fencing around the tree, or put it in a place that’s off limits to your pets.

Poisonous plants

Christmas cactus, poinsettia, mistletoe, and the bulbs of the amaryllis plant can be mildly upsetting to extremely toxic. If eaten, they can cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, coma, central nervous system or cardiac problems, or even death.

If your dog ingests parts of any of these plants and begins to show one or more of the symptoms described above, it’s important to know which plant has been eaten. This info will help your vet quickly initiate proper treatment.

Children’s toys

If you’ve got children, their toys can present a hazard to your dog. If they’re small, or have small parts, dogs can swallow them, causing choking, gastric distress, or intestinal blockage.

Always be on the safe side. Keep potential holiday hazards out of mouths, off limits, out of reach, or just substitute them with safe alternatives. The emergency clinic is not a jolly place to spend time this holiday season!

Reprinted from www.pedigree.com.