Most of us are well underway with our Christmas shopping, decorating, and baking. Unfortunately, the holiday season brings with it some specific pet-related dangers. If any of you are fortunate enough to have eight cats in your home, you can sympathize with how emotionally taxing it is on me to have my beautiful Christmas tree dismantled almost as fast as I can put it up. What cat can resist the crinkle of wrapping paper, the sparkle of tinsel, or the endless supply of Christmas ribbon? Even our little blind kitten thinks it is quite entertaining to climb to the top of the tree and remove a decorative ball, toss it to the ground, and play a spirited game of soccer with it until it disappears under the couch, at which point he forgets about it and climbs the tree again to harvest a new ball.
What cats do not realize, however, is that string-like objects such as ribbon, tinsel, and garland can be life-threatening if consumed. If one end of the ribbon becomes lodged in the stomach or upper intestine, the rest of the ribbon can saw through the delicate inner lining of the intestine as the gut tries in vain to push the ribbon through the digestive tract. Cats with a linear obstruction can become acutely ill. They may vomit, develop a fever, and become profoundly painful and dehydrated. Often, emergency surgery is required to remove the offending Christmas decoration from the cat’s gut. I have a fairly large collection of ribbon and string that I have surgically removed from the digestive tracts of cats. If you have a cat in your home, please save him from this tummy ache by removing all ribbon from the presents under the tree. This is also the perfect opportunity to find creative ways to decorate a Christmas tree without tinsel or garland.
There are several other items that make an appearance in our homes this time of year that can be hazardous to pets. Most pet owners are aware that poinsettias are poisonous. Occasionally, floral arrangements can include lilies, which are extremely lethal to our feline friends. One ounce of baking chocolate is a fatal dose in a cat or small breed dog. Rising bread dough, if consumed in enough quantity, can cause severe abdominal pain, bloating, and vomiting. Macadamia nuts, onions, grapes, raisins, and chewing gum containing xylitol are all poisonous to pets.
And, although it may be very tempting to reward our furry friends for being so well-behaved this year with a morsel of turkey or fruitcake from the table, please keep in mind that even relatively small portions of table food can lead to pancreatitis in dogs. Pancreatitis is a very serious and excruciatingly painful inflammation of the pancreas, the organ responsible for producing the enzymes to digest fats and sugars. Be prepared that if you offer your pet ingredients to which they are not accustomed, you may be presented with profound and potentially fatal consequences.
Our senior four-legged friends may also be feeling the weather changes in their aging bones. If your dog or cat is experiencing age-related joint pains, please consult your veterinarian for species-appropriate choices for pain medications. Tylenol and Advil are both toxic to cats and dogs. Even one Tylenol is considered a lethal dose in cats and small dogs.
Christmas is a joy-filled, yet busy, time of year. Please take a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the season to consider whether you have pet-proofed your home. Nobody wants to spend Christmas Eve at the veterinary hospital. Not even me.
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