Fourth Day of Christmas Hazards

One the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a car load of Christmas groceries.

Some people foods are fine for pets. However, some people foods can seriously endanger pets’ health. Play it safe this season by keeping pets on their regular diets over the holidays and don’t let family and friends sneak them table scraps.

While turkey and ham make up the majority of traditional holiday meals, turkey and ham bones can become lodged in the pet’s intestines if swallowed in large pieces. Cats and dogs could become seriously ill or even choke to death.  Fatty foods, such as meat scraps and drippings, may cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) when ingested, especially by dogs. Certain breeds, miniature Schnauzers in particular, are more likely to develop pancreatitis than other breeds.
  
Baked holiday goodies of cakes, cookies and breads should definitely be off your pet's dietary list.  First, yeast bread dough can result in a bowel obstruction or a bloated or distended stomach in pets. Second, Xylitol, a common sugar-substitute used in baked goods, candies, and sugar-free chewing gum can be fatal to dogs. (Note: While Xylitol is poisonous to dogs in quantities found in human candies and chewing gum, it is used in some human and pet dental products to help prevent tooth decay. The amount of xylitol typically found in most pet oral-care products is very small and, when used properly, is not expected to cause poisoning unless the dog ingests a very large amount.)


Xylitol may cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and can cause liver damage to dogs. Cats and people do not experience this problem. The typical dose needed to cause poisoning is at least 0.05 grams per pound of body weight.  Within 10 to 15 minutes of ingestion, dogs may develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), lose coordination, and start vomiting. Collapse and seizures may quickly follow. In rare cases, these signs won’t appear until hours after ingestion.  If you catch the dog in the act, you should induce vomiting.  As always, call your veterinarian.

Third Day of Christmas Hazards

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a box of Christmas Decorations and wrappings.


While holiday decorations can make a home feel more festive, they can be tantalizing traps for pets. Keep decorations and ornaments higher up on trees so they’re not consumed by pets. The same goes for christmas wrappings, especially stringed ribbons.  Also, exposed cords from electric lights can cause electrocution or oral burns if chewed. 




Though they’re not poisonous, if a pet decides, the colorful garland or tree trim might make a tasty treat, when ingested these strings can result in a life-threatening linear foreign body, intestinal perforation, and septic peritonitis (infection in the abdominal cavity).  A linear foreign body occurs when pets swallow something stringy, like ribbon, tinsel, yarn, or floss. The stringy-item wraps around the base of the tongue or anchors in the stomach and is unable to pass through the intestines. As the intestines contract and move, this string slowly saws through the intestinal tissue, resulting in severe damage and possible rupture of the pet’s intestinal tract.  The treatment for linear foreign bodies involves complex and expensive abdominal surgery, hospitalization, pain management, IV fluids, prescription diets, antibiotics, and frequent monitoring of laboratory values. Even after surgical removal, some pets may not survive. 


If a pet does ingest a long piece of tinsel, ribbon, thread or string, advise the owner to immediately bring the animal into the clinic for an examination. Most importantly, if pet owners report they can see the string hanging from the pet’s mouth or anus, tell them not to pull on it as doing so may result in further tissue damage. Only trained veterinary professionals should remove such strings.  The outcome can be good if the pet is treated before severe signs and intestinal damage result. If the intestine is perforated the prognosis becomes much worse.