Holiday Hazards

The holidays are stressful enough without having to worry about a sick or poisoned pet! Below you will find a list of Top Holiday dangers for your pets to avoid, including decorations, plants and food items! Take a peek, and enjoy a safe holiday season!

Christmas Trees: Christmas trees are not particularly toxic, but precautions should be taken to ensure the tree is securely anchored so it doesn't tip or fall. Tree water—which may contain fertilizers and bacteria that can cause stomach upset, nausea or diarrhea if ingested— should be covered to protect pets from drinking it.

Lights/Electrical Cords/Batteries: Be sure to check over your Christmas lights/electrical cords carefully for loose wiring and be sure to keep all loose batteries in a safe place. Chewed through cords and lights may cause injuries to the mouth, burns or electrical shock! A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock, and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.

Christmas Ornaments: Ornaments, both store bought and home made can contain several hazards to the curious pet!

Glass ornaments are easily shattered posing a risk of ingestion or cuts/wounds both to the mouth and feet!
- The shine and sparkle to tinsel is very attractive to pets especially cats! Although it may seem harmless, the string like decoration can cause a high risk of foreign body and entanglement in the GI tract when ingested. It is highly suggestive to keep this pretty, although dangerous material off your trees this season!
Home-made/craft ornaments can often contain a high number of straight pins, sequins and occasionally edible components. Be mindful of these ornaments, as they can pose as a high foreign body risk for your pets.

Ribbon/Gift Wrap:
All of those sparkling ribbons and bows look inviting to a curious dog or cat, but its an invitation for disaster! When ingested it can lead to a serious life threatening gastrointestinal obstruction or blockage. If you are suspicious your pet may have ingested any part of your beautiful holiday gift wrap/ribbon, watch for symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and lethargy.

Holiday Plants: Indoor plants are often attractive in odor and appearance to our pets, and there are certain festive plants that can be potentially dangerous:

Poinsettia - Some believe the popular poinsettia is highly toxic to pets, however they tend to cause only mild to moderate gastrointestinal irritation. Keeping it out of pets’ reach is still a good idea, as a harmless chew on the leaves may cause oral lesions and irritation.
Holly - When Christmas or English holly is ingested, it can result in severe gastrointestinal upset (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea). The berries can be particularly of concern! What is the poison? Interestingly enough, it is theobromine, an alkaloid that is related to caffeine. Theobromine is found in chocolate (and is toxic to dogs even at the lower concentration), but there is much more of the compound in holly berries.
Mistletoe - There are several types of mistletoe which can be poisonous to pets: The American mistletoe is less toxic than the European varieties of it. When accidentally ingested by our pets, mistletoe poisoning can result in mild signs of gastrointestinal irritation (e.g., drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain). When ingested in large amounts, abnormal heart rate, collapse, hypotension (low blood pressure), ataxia (walking drunk), seizures and death have also been reported.
Various Lillies - including Tiger, Asiatic, Stargazer, Easter and day lilies, are the most dangerous varieties particularly for cats. The ingestion of one to two leaves or flower petals may be enough to cause significant kidney damage and possibly death.

Chocolate Toxicity:
Chocolate and cocoa contain theobromine, a chemical highly toxic to dogs and cats. Ingestion in small amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhea but large amounts can cause seizures and heart arrhythmias. Keep your chocolate in your cupboards and away from your pets! Any chocolate gifts in stockings or under the tree may be easily accessible to our furry friends!

Festive Foods / Bones:
With the holiday season comes a delightful variety of baked goods, chocolate confections and other rich, fattening foods. However, it is not wise (and in some cases is quite dangerous) to share these treats with your pets. Keep your pet on his or her regular diet over the holidays and do not let family and friends sneak in treats. Foods that can present problems include:

Foods containing grapes, raisins and currants (such as fruitcakes) can result in severe kidney irritation and even failure in dogs.
Many sugarless gums and candies contain xylitol, a sweetener which is toxic to dogs. It causes a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and potential liver failure.
Leftover, fatty meat scraps can produce severe inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Bones - although sharing your left over dinner bones may seem enticing, chewing on or ingestion of bones may lead to fractured teeth, GI foreign body or obstruction, oral or esophageal lacerations from broken bone shard, or even constipation! Make sure your bones make it to the garbage and not your dogs dish!

Antifreeze: Antifreeze, which contains ethylene glycol, is extremely dangerous to dogs and cats. Sources of ethylene glycol include automotive antifreeze, windshield de-icing agents, motor oils, hydraulic brake fluid, developing solutions for photography, paints, solvents, etc. As little as a tablespoon can result in severe acute kidney failure in dogs, while as little as 1 teaspoon can be fatal to cats. When dogs or cats are exposed to ethylene glycol, immediate treatment is necessary.