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Christmas Care for Your Pets
Article By: Glenn Redmond
I grew up in Torbay, often hiking the wooded trails
behind my house with my French poodle "Chien."
My family adopted the dog, along with the name, when she
was about one year old and I was still in diapers. It
was not until my first French lesson that I fully understood
the reality that my beloved companion's name was "Dog."
From the time I was old enough to swing an axe, Chien
and I would go cut the family Christmas tree. We would
drag the monstrosity back home, beaming with pride as
I was always sure that this year's tree was the best ever.
My brother would put the fire in and the whole family
participated in dressing the naked spruce, making a box
of "Pot of Gold" disappear in the process. The
final product glowed with colorful lights, glass bulbs,
strings of popcorn and tinsel from top to bottom. Chien
would lie in one spot in the living room, seemingly content
with the knowledge that decisions of where to hang the
stockings this year were not hers to make.
It always turned into a perfect Hallmark moment, but
for many pet owners, Christmas can be a time of heartache
and chaos. It is very easy for pets to get into trouble
during the holidays as many pet owners get so busy that
they lose track of what their pet is doing. Furthermore,
many gifts, decorations and holiday foods pose dangers
for dogs and cats. A little preparation and good planning
is essential to ensure your pet's safety during the festive
season.
We do not see too many mummers anymore, but Christmas
celebrations do bring increased traffic to our houses.
Pets can easily escape when visitors come and go as greetings
at the door tend to be longer than usual. Small animals
can get stepped on by heavy winter boots, causing severe
injuries quite quickly. As well, guests are more likely
to feed pets Christmas treats than owners. Multiple guests,
each feeding one little treat, can add up to quite a lot
of food, some of which could cause serious health complications.
Bones can cause choking, internal punctures or possibly
death. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic
for dogs, leading to an over stimulation of the nervous
system. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures
and in high amounts, can be fatal. Baker's chocolate and
dark chocolate are the worst as they contain higher concentrations
of theobromine. Fatty, spicy or sweet foods can lead to
gastric upset, dehydration and pancreatitis. Mouth burns
or throat ulcerations can result from hot food. Advise
guests not to feed your pets and do not leave tempting
platters unsupervised.
All this food requires an accompaniment to wash it down.
For many people this is a soothing glass of wine or other
alcoholic beverage. A drunken dog is quite entertaining
on "Family Guy," but in reality an ounce of
a twenty to forty proof alcoholic beverage can put a small
cat or dog into a coma.
Christmas plants add to the décor of our home,
but unfortunately, many are toxic to our animals. Plants
such as poinsettia, mistletoe, holly, ivy, hemlock and
Christmas cactus can cause severe gastrointestinal irritation
and cardiac and central nervous system problems. To be
safe, spray the leaves with a taste deterrent such as
"Bitter Apple" and immediately discard dead
leaves, stems or berries.
The Christmas tree I spoke of earlier always invokes
fond memories. Looking back on it, I was not aware of
the potential dangers it posed. The tinsel that adorned
our tree can easily cause intestinal strangulation if
ingested.
Food ornaments such as popcorn can be moderately toxic
causing gastric upset and all of the glass bulbs, so easily
broken, can lacerate paws in a second. Wire hangers can
cause cuts and scrapes or much worse, if your furry friend
decided to eat them. Decorative tree lights are quire
beautiful, but pose the same dangers as any electrical
cord. Pets can be electrocuted if they can chew the fragile
wire. They can also become tangled in the strands, which
can lead to burns. It is a good idea to block off the
tree room with a baby gate or the like and only allow
your pet access while supervised.
Gifts are abundant during the Christmas season, complimented
with colorful wrapping paper and bows. However, ribbon,
trim, polystyrene foam packaging, wrapping, foil, tape
and glue all pose dangers if eaten. Wrap packages in an
area away from your pet and make sure you put away wrapping
supplies when not in use.
It is advisable to post the number and the location of
an emergency vet hospital on the fridge so you are prepared
to act during a crisis. There is nothing worse than struggling
through the pages of a phone book when panicked. A little
foresight and planning will go a long way in ensuring
you and your pets have a safe and happy holiday season.
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