Veterinary Care | Animal Hospital

Like Thanksgiving, the winter holidays are often filled with family, food, games, and decorations.  When we share the holidays with our animal companions, we must be extra careful to protect them so that they can have a fun and festive time.  We are always saddened to see sick or injured patients, but it seems especially sad when the accident is preventable and happens during a time of family get-togethers.  Please be aware of some of the most common hazards for your pets:

Ribbons/Tinsel

Cats are especially attracted to string and shiny things, and ribbons and tinsel seem so tempting to them.  These objects can cause obstruction in the GI tract, and can cause death when the material essentially ties up the intestines and cuts through the intestinal walls.  Cats have a raspy, one-way tongue that makes it almost impossible for them to stop swallowing something once they’ve started, so please make sure you keep track of all the ribbons, and do not use tinsel.

Chocolate and Caffeine

Holiday sweets are tempting to all of us- and dogs are especially nosy this time of year!  Baker’s chocolate (unsweetened chocolate) is worst of all; only a small “dose” is lethal to dogs.  Chocolate contains theobromine, which is similar in composition to caffeine (also toxic to pets).  Signs of toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmias, trembling, and even seizures or death.  Chocolates are often high in fat, and this can cause pancreatitis as well.

Macadamia Nuts and More

These tasty little nuts are not-so-friendly to dogs- they can cause depression, vomiting, trouble walking, rapid heart rate, tremors, and more.  Some dogs are especially sensitive, others tolerate them a little better, but they should not be fed to your pets.  Like raisins, they may be dose-dependent- the more eaten, the worse the signs.  Lots of chocolates contain macadamia nuts, so keep your treats in a cupboard so your dog doesn’t get a double whammy of toxins.  Other odd toxic foods include avocado (fruit and seeds), raisins and grapes, yeast dough, raw or undercooked meat and eggs, and xylitol (see below).

Xylitol Sweetener

Xylitol is relatively new to us, but it sure causes a whole host of problems for pets (again, usually dogs get into it more often than cats).  Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in sugar-free gum, mints and other foods (including Trident, Orbit, Tic Tacs, Jell-O pudding, and many more sugar-free foods).  While it is not harmful to humans, it causes rapid onset hypoglycemia and liver failure in dogs.  A lethal dose for a twenty-pound dog is merely two pieces of gum!  A single sugar-free Jell-O cup can kill a large dog, according to this article and others.  Signs of toxicity include vomiting, lethargy, lack of coordination, seizures, and more.  Read labels, and keep your purse, bag, and kids’ backpacks off the floor!

Holiday Plants

Most people have heard that poinsettias are toxic to animals, but it is now known that this cheerful decorative plant can be an oral and GI irritant, but isn’t truly “toxic” to pets.  More worrisome are holly and mistletoe, which cause vomiting, diarrhea and other GI distress, and mistletoe can also cause cardiovascular collapse and other serious complications.   Keep plants out of reach of all pets!  The ASPCA has a thorough list of toxic and non-toxic plants for animals – you might want to use it when planning your spring garden, too.

Food and Bones

The Thanksgiving blog has a pretty thorough listing of what to avoid this holiday season, see below for the link to November’s posting about troublesome foods.

Following these guidelines may help to keep you from visiting us for anything other than routine care this winter.  We hope you have a wonderful holiday!  Please call us at 360-896-7449 with any questions.  Thank you for trusting us with the care of your special pets – your pet’s health is our primary concern!