Tis the season...to see the vet!!
Ho Ho Ho!
A quick refresher of common holiday hazards .... and some interesting statistics.
The pet insurance company Trupanion recently gave us a couple of their internal holiday statistics (I found them interesting):
Trupanion sees a 10% increase in foreign body ingestion claims during the holidays
Trupanion sees 24% more toxicity claims in December.
Things not to eat....
Chocolate: the higher the %cocoa the more toxic; ie baking chocolate is more poisonous than a kit kat bar
Raisins (or grapes): kidney injury
Macadamia nuts: neurological symptoms (eg. "acting drunk"), weakness
Poinsettias, mistletoe, holly: digestive upset
Snow Globes: these can contain ethylene glycol (antifreeze) which can cause kidney failure
Alcoholic beverages
Cannabis: can be lethal to pets, especially in edible products and oils
Tinsel, Ribbons, Strings = foreign bodies, especially cats
Strings of lights: electrocution
Fatty foods like gravy: can cause pancreatitis, especially in small dogs
Christmas trees are exciting and can easily be knocked over by climbing cats and excited dogs. Please secure your tree well.
Ornaments can easily be broken and cause cuts. One case that has been seen by myself and multiple other vets: those hand-made ornaments made with small marshmallows and many, many, small pins (often sent home from school with children).... well, dogs eat them because they are made of marshmallows... and then they have a belly full of 100+ small pins. So, tell your child how much you adore it, and then put it somewhere very, very safe.
Candles are beautiful, but pets can easily knock them over and cause fires. Check out some really funky new LED lights that look like flames (my husband became mildly obsessed with these at Halloween; I admit, I have to look close to realize it is a light bulb and not a flame). You can buy them on Amazon.
Stress. I know, I know, I think my pets have the life of Riley, but in all fairness, they don't like company (especially my one cat). Lots of visitors, loud noises & voices, travel, children, other animals visiting, and changes in routine can be very upsetting for pets. Try to keep their lives as consistent as possible, and consider using anti-anxiety products if you know your pet is easily stressed. We do have several anti-anxiety supplements, pheromones, diets, and pharmaceutical agents suitable for pets available here at Pine Ridge Veterinary Clinic.
Have a FUN & SAFE holiday season with your pets!!