7 Ways to Make the Holidays Safer for Pets: Holiday Pet Safety Crash Course

​Nothing can spoil holiday cheer like an emergency visit to a veterinary clinic. These seven tips can help prevent a holiday disaster with your pets.

7 Ways to Make The Holidays Safer for Pets

1. Keep people food out of the reach of your pet, and ask your guests to do the same.

2. Make sure your pet doesn't have any access to treats, especially those containing chocolate, xylitol, grapes/raisins, onions or other toxic foods.

3. Don't leave your pet alone in the room with lit candles, a decorated tree or potpourri.

4. Keep holiday plants (especially holly, mistletoe and lillies) out of reach of pets.

5. Consider leaving the tinsel off your tree if you have a cat.

6. Secure your Christmas tree to keep it from falling over if your dog bumps it or your cat climbs it. Hanging lemon-scented car air fresheners in the tree may deter your cat from climbing it.

7. Provide a safe place for your pet to escape the excitement (such as a kennel, crate, perching place, scratching post shelf or hiding place) if you’re entertaining guests. If your pet is excitable or scared, consider putting your pet in another room with some toys and a comfortable bed.

Plan in advance

Make sure you know how to get to your 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic before there's an emergency. Talk with your veterinarian in advance to find out where you would need to take your pet, and plan your travel route so you're not trying to find your way when stressed. Always keep these numbers posted in an easy-to-find location in case of emergencies:

• Your veterinarian's clinic phone number

• 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic

• ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 1-888-426-4435 (A fee may apply.)

If you’re a client of ours at River Landings Animal Clinic, additional numbers to make note of are:

• Animal ER - (941) 355-2884

• Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance - (941) 592-5131

• 24/7 Pet Poison Control Center - (855) 764-7661

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3 Valentine's Day Dangers to Your Pets

A bouquet of flowers, a box of candy, and a chocolate heart. Who wouldn’t be delighted to receive any one of these treats this Valentine’s Day? But although these may be a delight for you, they may pose a hidden health risk for your dog or cat.

Sadly, chocolate, xylitol in candies, and lilies all have substances that are potentially deadly to pets. Countless dogs each year come in for chocolate toxicity, and then there are the heartbreaking cases of cats poisoned by lilies, and dogs practically in a coma from eating low-sugar candies and cookies.

Chocolate

Picture this: A rambunctious pair of Labradors, bounding into the surgery for emergency treatment.

To look at them you’d think they were in bursting good health as they bounced off the walls with even more exuberance than usual. However, a clinical examination revealed a different picture. Hearts racing dangerously fast, with the potential for them to collapse at any second. Their hyperactivity was caused by too much of a chemical from the caffeine family, theobromine, in their bloodstream.

Unfortunately, chocolate contains theobromine, an extreme stimulant to dogs. It causes a racing heart and stimulates the central nervous system. Some dogs are so sensitive to the effects that even a small amount can cause seizures and death.

Treatment involves making the dog vomit, giving diazepam to calm their central nervous systems, and administering activated charcoal by mouth every few hours to mop up the residual chocolate.

It’s possible for a full recovery, but this isn’t always the case! So, take care where you stash those chocolates.

The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous for your pet. For more information about how much chocolate is toxic, see our article on Chocolate Toxicity.

Candy Containing Xylitol

Perhaps a lesser-known threat is the risk that low-sugar candies and cookies pose to dogs.

These may contain an artificial sweetener called xylitol. Unfortunately, xylitol and dogs don’t mix. The sweetener stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, which in turn suppresses blood sugar levels. As if that isn’t bad enough, xylitol can also cause liver damage, which results in a problem with blood clotting.

Immediate treatment is essential to saving your dog’s life. This involves an emergency trip to the veterinarian, who will administer intravenous glucose and fluids (among other things), to try to get the blood sugar levels back up to normal.

Dogs who have eaten xylitol can suffer from excessively low blood sugar levels with 60 minutes and fall into a coma. Just as those chocolates, store these candies well out of paw’s reach.

For more information about the dangers of xylitol and other toxins, read our article on pet poison prevention in the kitchen.

Lilies

Beware of Valentine’s bouquets containing lilies — specifically, the big showy ones that are so common in floral displays. (Be alert for Easter, Asiatic, Tiger, Rubrum and Day lilies, as well as any flower from the Lilium family.)

If your cat chews on the leaves or petals, drinks the water that the flowers stand in, or rubs against the pollen and grooms themselves, they are at risk of kidney failure. We don’t know why this happens, but the fact remains that lilies contain something that is deadly to cats.

Sadly, there is no cure for lily toxicity. If your cat has just ingested lily pollen, prompt veterinary attention is critical. The cat may need their stomach pumped to remove any residual contamination. Aggressive intravenous therapy can help protect the kidneys and flush the toxin, but even this is not guaranteed to be successful.

The best advice is not to allow lilies in the house (or the garden) with cats. Some people suggest cutting off the stamens (the spiky bits bearing pollen) because the most common exposure is cats who brush past the bloom, get pollen on their coat, and then groom themselves. However, to be honest, the risk just isn’t worth taking.

I hope this Valentine’s Day brings you and a loved one closer, but to avoid heartache of an altogether different sort, for the sake of your pets, take care where you put those Valentine’s gifts.

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Pet Poison Prevention: Kitchen Toxins

It’s amazing (yet scary) how many common food items in our kitchen are poisonous to our pets! Some of these food items, while safe to you, may cause serious problems if ingested by our dogs and cats. Here is the list of kitchen products that the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping away from pets.

Chocolate

Chocolate comes in many different forms, such as: white, dark, milk, semi-sweet, baker’s and cocoa powder. Each type of chocolate has a different toxicity level. Baker’s, cocoa, dark and semi-sweet chocolates are toxic in much smaller amounts than milk or white chocolate due to the greater concentration of theobromine and caffeine. A mild toxic dose of chocolate can cause agitation/hyperactivity, vomiting and diarrhea. Moderate toxicity can cause tachycardia (increased heart rate) and severe toxic levels can cause seizures. Chocolate stays in the stomach for several hours after ingestion, so symptoms may not show for up to 12 hours after ingestion. Chocolate stays in the system for a long period of time, so if symptoms occur, they can last potentially 72-96 hours.

Xylitol (common in sugar-free chewing gum)

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and is gaining popularity in sugar-free foods, oral care products, and dietary supplements. Common products that contain xylitol are gum, toothpaste, sugar-free candy, chewable vitamins, and melatonin supplements. It is also sold in bulk for baking. Although safe for humans, xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure in dogs that ingest toxic amounts. The symptoms can be very rapid, occurring within 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion. Common symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, lethargy, difficulty walking (ataxia) and seizures. Dogs are the most susceptible pet species to xylitol toxicity.

Grapes / raisins / currants

Grapes, raisins and toxic currants (Vitis species) can cause acute kidney failure in dogs. There is no known toxic dose for these fruits so any ingestion should be considered potentially toxic. Common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia (not eating), weakness, and decreased urine output. Symptoms show within 12-24 hours.

Caffeine

Caffeine poisoning, while not as common as chocolate poisoning, can occur with ingestion of products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, certain drugs such as migraine medications, and caffeine or diet pills. Caffeine poisoning can cause restlessness, hyperactivity, vomiting, panting, tachycardia (increased heart rate), weakness, diarrhea, and heart symptoms can occur 1-2 hours after ingestion and can last for 12-36 hours. Fatality is common when dogs ingest caffeine pills.

Fatty scraps

While it is tempting to feed your pet scraps from the table, fatty food scraps can cause stomach upset and is a risk for pancreatitis in pets. Pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed. Symptoms of pancreatitis include vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite (anorexia), lethargy, and diarrhea. Some dog breeds are more prone to pancreatitis such as miniature schnauzers, miniature poodles, and cocker spaniels. Older and overweight dogs can also be prone to pancreatitis, but with an ingestion of fatty foods, any dog can be susceptible.

Onions / garlic / chives / leeks / shallots

Ingestion of these foods in large enough quantities can cause oxidative hemolysis, which is defined as the destruction of the red blood cells, causing anemia. Common symptoms of toxicity can include but are not limited to: lethargy, pale mucous membranes, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and increased breathing rate. The onset of symptoms can be anywhere from 24 hours after ingestion to several days. The symptoms can potentially last for 10-20 days. Dogs, cats, cattle and horses can be affected.

Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts are a common snack for people but can be toxic to dogs. Macadamia nuts contain up to 80% oil and 4% sugar which can increase the risk for pancreatitis (high fat). In toxic quantities, the nuts can also cause neurological signs such as weakness, ataxia (difficulty walking), tremors, hyperthermia (increased temperature), and joint stiffness. Symptoms of neurological poisoning can be witnessed within 3-6 hours and can last for 24-36 hours. Dog breeds more predisposed to pancreatitis (e.g., miniature schnauzers, miniature poodles, cocker spaniels, obese dogs, etc.) may be at higher risk but all dogs may be susceptible to pancreatitis.

Unbaked yeast bread dough

Any bread made with baker’s yeast can be toxic if the unbaked bread dough is ingested. When bread dough is rising, the yeast consumes sugars in the dough and in turn produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide forms bubbles in the dough making it rise. Ingestion can cause ethanol (alcohol) toxicity as well as obstruction of the stomach, stomach bloat and/or stomach torsion. Common symptoms from ethanol toxicity include acting “drunk”, sedation, ataxia (difficulty walking), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothermia (low temperature), GI distress, respiratory depression, and coma. Bloat and stomach torsion are more common in deep-chested dog breeds such as the Great Dane, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Gordon Setter, Weimaraner, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Bassett Hound, however, any breed of dog could be at risk. Common symptoms of bloat include abdominal distension, pawing, restlessness, and unproductive retching. Symptoms can occur one hour after ingestion but can be delayed. Symptoms can last 24-36 hours and surgical intervention may be needed to remove the dough.

Alcohol

Alcohol or ethanol toxicity can occur when an animal ingests alcoholic beverages, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, yeast bread dough, etc. Common symptoms from ethanol toxicity include acting “drunk”, sedation, ataxia (difficulty walking), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothermia (low temperature), GI distress, respiratory depression, and coma. Symptoms have a rapid onset, within 30 – 90 minutes, and can last 24-36 hours.

Table salt

Ingestion of salt can cause sodium poisoning (hypernatremia). Hypernatremia is an increase of sodium concentrations in the blood. Common symptoms of salt toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, polydipsia (increased drinking/thirst), ataxia (difficulty walking), tremors, and seizures. Symptoms can occur within 30 minutes to 4 hours. Animals can also be at risk for salt toxicity when they ingest homemade play-doh, salt ornaments, baking soda, de-icing products, and other salt-containing products.

Even with the best planning and intentions, our pets will occasionally be exposed to toxic substances in the kitchen. If you suspect your pet has had a toxic exposure call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately as time is of the essence. It is not always safe to induce vomiting or administer other home remedies. Seek counsel before taking action.

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