Keep your Holidays happy and safe for your pets

We love the holidays here at City Pets. Family, friends, food, and fun; what is there NOT to love? It's the days following the holidays we dread. With the increased number of visitors, all the tempting bones & side dishes, and all the sparkling adornments on the tree, how is a pet expected to NOT get in trouble?

As the old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and a whole lot cheaper. Here are a few steps to take to keep your festive fur-baby safe this holiday season.

1. Christmas Trees: They pose more threat than meets the eye at first glance. If they aren't securely anchored, they can be toppled by clumsy climbers. Ornaments, garland, and lights all have their own unique risks, but keeping them out of reach by either putting them higher on the tree or putting a gate around it will minimize chances of them becoming your pet's potentially perilous plaything. We saved the most innocuous threat for last: pine needles. While not toxic to pets, the sharp little things can perforate your pet's intestines if ingested. The water under the tree can also be dangerous if it contains fertilizer or if it's left unchanged, bacteria can grow in it. Both can lead to severe GI upset.
   
2. Foreign Body Ingestion: This is the call we most dread after the holidays. Your daring dog or clever cat finds remnants of Christmas dinner in the garbage, including a choice bone or two, then "wolfs it down" before they get busted. The bone then becomes lodged in the GI tract and requires emergency surgery to remove. This one is easy to avoid by closing the lid tightly on the garbage can or by taking it straight to a can outside. Also avoid giving your pets bones as a treat because they can swallow them in large chunks which can get stuck or they can splinter which could puncture their GI tract. Another foreign body danger is tinsel or ribbon. They make a great toy, impossible to resist by your average feline, but one bite can lead to swallowing a piece that can tangle or knot in their gut, causing a blockage. Best to keep them both securely out of reach.
   
3. Holiday plants (Holly, Lilies, Mistletoe, Poinsettias): For some, it isn't the holidays until you put out the lily or get your first kiss under the mistletoe. Unfortunately, for some cats, their world isn't complete until they've nibbled on every leaf of every plant in the greenhouse. Lilies can cause kidney failure in cats, while mistletoe, poinsettias, and holly can cause severe GI upset. While it's best to stick with the silk-alternatives, if you need the real thing, make sure to put them somewhere inaccessible by Garfield the gardener.
4. Table Scraps: It's hard to resist those puppy dog eyes during Christmas dinner, but you must. Table scraps can lead to GI issues or pancreatitis, and it doesn't take much. Ask your guests to refrain from feeding your pets table scraps and have pet safe treats handy to spread the holiday cheer to your pets too. If you really can't resist the urge of treating your pets to a little human food, a small amount of boneless, skinless turkey is safe or you can kennel them during dinner to avoid temptation.
   

The holidays can be a hectic time and it's easy to overlook something, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions or concerns. Have a safe, happy, and furry holiday season!
Oh, yeah, chocolate; always chocolate.