Los Angeles, December 24, 2021 – Celebrating the holidays often includes festive decorations, yummy foods, and entertaining friends and family, but nothing can spoil holiday cheer like an emergency visit to a veterinary clinic. To keep the season merry and bright for families and their animal companions, here are some tips to keep your furry four-legged family members safe:
Beware of holiday decor. Our pets often see these festive decorations as something to eat or play with, but many holiday decor are harmful to pets:
- Tinsel, breakable ornaments and other glass decorations can cause injuries. Place tinsel and fragile decorations up high and out of your pet’s reach.
- Electric lights and wires can cause burns if pets chew on them.
- Christmas trees can tip over if your dog accidentally bumps it or your if cat climbs it. Secure your Christmas tree to keep it from falling over; and if the tree is real, keep the water covered and inaccessible to pets because the water may contain fertilizer and other harmful chemicals.
Watch out for festive flowers and plants. Poinsettias can cause mild to moderate gastrointestinal irritation, but other seasonal foliage like amaryllis, holly, lilies, and mistletoe can be dangerous and even poisonous to pets who decide to eat them.
Avoid sharing the holiday feast with pets. Dogs and cats can suffer very serious and sometimes fatal consequences from turkey or chicken bones; consuming too much rich and fatty foods, yeast dough, and chocolate; and from just plain overeating. Instead of giving your companion animal leftovers, purchase some new dog biscuits or cat treats made especially for them.
