Veterinarian urges pet safety during holidays

For most people, the holidays are one of the most fun times of the year.

Those with pets know that Fido or Fluffy can make the season even more enjoyable.

However, there are many threats to pets during the holiday season.

Dr. Troy Everson, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Hospital, said his office hasn’t seen any holiday-related problems yet but cautioned that it’s still early.

"The biggest thing is watching what your pets are getting into," he said.

He cautioned on one of the biggest

problems vets see with pets every year.

"Chocolate," Everson said. "The holidays abound in chocolate."

Dogs especially, he said, can smell the chocolate and will get into it if it’s available.

"Dogs like sweets just like people," Everson said. "To the dog, the wrapper smells just as good as the chocolate, so don’t leave those around."

Milk chocolate is only mildly toxic in most cases, but he said pet owners need to be very careful with dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate which is used to make fudge. He said signs of chocolate toxicity may include trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, nervousness or seizures.

Sugar-free candies and gums that contain Xylitol can be deadly even in small quantities if consumed by a pet.

"Be careful where purses are at because a curious dog will go right into it," Everson said. "It doesn’t take much sugar free gum to get them."

He said that while the human body can differentiate between real sugar and Xylitol and not create extra insulin, pets’ bodies can’t.

"It depletes the sugar they need and makes them hypoglycemic," Everson said. "They create more insulin than the body needs."

That extra insulin can be very harmful and even cause death.

"If there’s any doubt, call your veterinarian," Everson said. "Let us help you decide what you should do."

He said feeding pets any leftovers in general isn’t a great idea.

"The fat can cause inflammation of the pancreas and make them very sick," Everson said. "It’s best not to deviate from your pet’s diet. We treat a lot of sick pets who eat something they normally don’t. Vomiting and diarrhea is one of the most common reasons we see dogs."

Holiday tinsel and ribbons can be other problems, especially for cats.

"Tinsel and ribbon can get hung up (in their digestive tract) and cause problems," Everson said. "It’s much more of a cat issue. For dogs, it’s the bigger ornaments."

Christmas trees should be anchored and for families with more curious or rambunctious pets, they should be stood up, he said. If you have a real Christmas tree, he cautioned not to add anything like aspirin to the water because many pets drink the tree’s water.

Parties with lots of people in general can be problems for pets.

"What you do with your dog during a party depends on the dog and how they deal with the stress," Everson said. "If your dog does poorly around lots of people, crate your dog or leave your dog in a back room."

Mistletoe can be very dangerous for pets and lilies are toxic for cats if eaten, so he cautioned about letting pets near those as well.