KIRKLAND, Wash., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- This year's holiday season can be special and safe for all your family members, even the furry, feathered or scaled ones, as long as you undertake some simple precautions.
Holiday decorations such as tinsel, ornaments, holiday lights and candles can be both very attractive and a major hazards to pets. Misguided snacking on tinsel can require surgery to repair the damage done to intestines. Broken ornaments can cut mouths and paws and candle flames and hot wax can cause severe burns.
"Cats especially are attracted to wrapping paper, plastic, ribbons and the like which come out at the holidays," said Skip Nelson, a doctor of veterinary medicine in Kirkland, WA. "These synthetics can cause blockages and be quite life threatening and painful to the cat. Kitty may need to be given his or her own room at times when you cannot supervise the tree, its decorations and the attractive wrappings under it."
A potpourri warming pot can also be very dangerous to pets. Animals can suffer burns by drinking the fragrant liquid or by rubbing against the warmer, said Michael Stone, an emergency veterinarian and assistant professor at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass. Electrical cords can be a hazard, especially for young animals who'll chew or tug on anything.
A few nibbles of the leaves, needles or berries from pine trees, poinsettia, holly and mistletoe can cause very unpleasant toxic reactions for many pets, especially house rabbits, Nelson said.
Holiday treats can also cause problems -- just as that dish of chocolate is tempting to adults and children, so it is to pets. But while chocolate only harms most people's waistlines, chocolate can be toxic to cats and dogs, even in small quantities.
"While it is common to celebrate the holidays with rich foods, pets -- and for that matter, two-legged family members -- rarely benefit from fatty treats," Nelson said. Fatty foods can cause pancreatitis; small bones from turkey, pork and fish can cause puncture damage in the throat, stomach and intestines.
Traditional holiday beverages like eggnog and champagne, along with other spirits, should be consumed by adults 21 years and older, not kids and certainly not animals. Even a small amount of alcohol can be dangerous to a small pet. So can the tablets often used to relieve holiday hangovers; aspirin and ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure in cats and dogs. Keep all medicine, including vitamins, away from inquisitive pets, suggests Dr. Stone.
Humans aren't the only ones experiencing stress during these holidays, either. The season can be very confusing and unsettling for companion animals. If you were planning on giving your pet a registered ID tag for the holidays, give it to them now. With holiday comings-and-goings, it's easy for an animal to accidentally get outside and lost. A tag may be its only way home. But adding bows or ribbons to collars could cause strangulation, so invest in holiday-hued collars instead, Stone said.
If you have a dog, try to keep to its regular walking and feeding schedule as much as possible. And remember to give companion pets extra attention; scientists have determined that merely petting a companion animal can significantly reduce blood pressure and stress levels.
A good holiday wish list for pets can include the following:
-- Dogs: rawhide chewy toys
-- Cats: organic cat nip
-- Hamsters and Gerbils: run-around ball
-- Birds: Balanced bird diet, instead of seed
(Reported by Gretchen Van-Monette in Detroit)
