Holiday Pet Safety—You'd be Surprised!

It is almost that time, when we all start making our houses look like we wish they looked all year, and decorating for company. 

We bake, and entertain, and make memories. In all the fun and chaos of the holiday season, however, sometimes we forget what we've known all along—some things that look great, some things that might even taste great, can be really dangerous to the four-leggeds.  

So, don't get annoyed by my stating the obvious, but let's just quickly go over things that should make you stop and think. Some of them will make you say: "Well she really didn't need to tell me THAT," but some of them just might be new. You never know. And it can't hurt, right?  

- tinsel - Whether you are a tosser or a placer, this shiny stuff is now all plastic and has no chance of ever ever breaking down one tiny bit inside your animal should they choose to swallow some. It can get wrapped around the back of the tongue, or even more seriously, around some portion of the digestive tract, requiring emergency surgery and a scary interruption to your festivities. Especially if you have a cat, try imagining tinsel and leave it off the tree. Work with me here.

- poinsettia, holly, mistletoe, hydrangea, christmas cactus. No surprises.

 - lilies - One or two leaves of tiger, asiatic, stargazer, easter, and day lilies are enough to cause sudden kidney failure. Don't feel bad, LOTS of people didn't know this one!

- alcohol - Some holiday drinks, like spiked eggnog, can be awfully tempting, and are often left sitting around unattended. There is not an animal in my house that won't try to sneak at least a few licks, but most of them would try to down the whole thing if given the opportunity. Are your furry friends really that much better behaved? Uh-huh. Sure they are.

 - chocolate, of course, and onions, walnuts, and macadamia nuts

- grapes, raisins, and currents (just like in the dreaded fruitcake, so no, you can't pawn that thing off on the dog)

- imported snow globes - Some now contain antifreeze and can be very dangerous if they break. Why anyone thinks to manufacture snow globes with antifreeze in them (probably ending up in the hands of children) is beyond me, but there you have it).

- liquid potpourri - Oddly, one of the top five animal-related calls to poison control during the holidays.

- cooked bones and fatty meat scraps - These aren't poison, but may make your dog ill or cause a nasty obstruction.

- Duraflame logs - These seem to be irresistible to some dogs, believe it or not!  And although the company claims the logs have no dangerous chemicals in them, the compressed sawdust can expand rather rapidly once inside your dog. Yup, ER here you come. Do NOT delay. This is very serious.

- artificial sweeteners - included in any baked goods or candies with xylitol, the worst of the bunch. Xylitol is very dangerous, quite bad stuff for dogs. So not even one of the cookies you made with ANY artificial sweetener. NOT ONE.  

Also - you know all those twist ties, all that plastic packaging with the sharp edges, all the bows and ribbon and tiny toy parts? Disaster waiting to happen, right? We all are aware of this, and will take all proper precautions so that Fluffy doesn't show up with one foot of curly ribbon inside her and three inches sticking out her rear end, with no more motion apparent. (You think I am kidding? This happened probably once a year every year I was a pet sitter). We will not find a shard of plastic in the litter box and be amazed that it did not shred Fluffy's innards. We will not do this.

OK, review complete. Now that you know the dog can't eat the fruitcake, you've got some planning to do. Get busy.

-woof