Holiday Pet Tips

(Copyright © 2001-2002 Linda K. Lawrie. All rights reserved.)

To our pets, the holiday season doesn't mean much.  They feel the excitment and smell the food, but don't understand why one day is so different from others.  But they can feel stressed.  Anything that upsets the routine for the pet will be stressful:  boarding; taking a trip; strangers in their house.

Try to maintain their routine and give them quiet places to avoid the hubbub if necessary.

Looking into those soulful brown eyes makes it doubly difficult to resist feeding them those "extra goodies" (for example, turkey skin, fat, pieces, crackers, kids' leftovers).  And having company who doesn't have your steely resolve just compounds the problem.

But resist!  You do not want to spend Thanksgiving evening at the Vet Emergency facility.  Forget what the dogs will eat free ranging, their GI system is sensitive and cannot handle lots of rich, fatty or spicy food.  A serious condition, known as pancreatitis, can result from their over-indulgence.  Also, our older pets systems cannot handle as much as the younger ones.  To help them feel part of the celebrating, add a little turkey and/or broth to their evening meal.

Other food things to watch for:  Everyone knows chocolate can be deadly for pets.  It’s the theobromine in chocolate that is fatal – milk chocolate has relatively little, dark baking chocolate has a lot. For many, as little as 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight can be fatal.  Ok, for Jack at 60 pounds then, 30 ounces of chocolate could be fatal.  Sounds like a lot, but could happen. Even less can make them sick.

Likewise, rich desserts, candy should be kept out of pet's reach.

Also watch for potentially poisonous plants, such as poinsetta, and keep them out of reach.  (Other poisonous plants commonly used at this time of year include azaleas, oleander, yew plants and Easter lilies, mistletoe, holly, and amaryllis).  Christmas trees should be securely fastened or fenced away from the pets.  Christmas tree decorations (glass ornaments, tinsel) should NOT be swallowed by pets.  And watch for wrapped packages that could contain food -- a dog's sense of smell is much better than ours!

If all your careful plans fail and the pet does eat something and start to show signs of distress, call your Vet or emergency facility and describe the situation.  If possible, bring some of the injested contents -- should you have to bring your pet in.

Have a safe and happy holiday!