PRINCETON, W.Va. -While the Christmas season is a time of giving, for your four-legged family members the holiday season can be life-threatening.
One local veterinarian says that this time of year visits to the vet office are heightened due to treats given to pets, holiday decoration dangers and changes of schedules.
Although you might feel like your pet deserves a special treat from the dinner table there are major risks involved.
“You know, just food off the table that we kind of treat our pets with, that we shouldn’t would be, things that are salty may be very bad for a dog in heart failure, fatty food from what, you know, ‘we’re not going to eat the fat, give it to the dog’ and that can cause pancreatitis and things. That’s very common this time of year, with the holidays as well,” said Gary Brown, Veterinarian for Animal Care Center and Willowbrook Cremations.
For Christmas decorations, while they can light up a room, chewing cords, swallowing decorations, or holiday plants can lead to burning mouths or obstructions.
“We all like those decorations. I mean, they’re beautiful, but our pets also think they are. So, they can go after those things, just like any shiny object, so to speak, and so our options are a couple. One is not making it available to them. So, kind of keeping them away from that, or maybe use different decorations that are a little less problematic for our pets,” said Dr. Brown.
Table food and decorations can be dangerous, but changing schedules and atmospheres can cause problems as well.
“You may be traveling you may not have the normal things that you would normally take care of your pet with, and so that can be problematic. So, just think ahead and kind of, if you have to stand there in the middle of the room and just take a look, ‘what could they get in to, what could they get into,’ and that would be, that would be very beneficial,” continued Dr. Brown.
So, for your pets this holiday season, remember to continue giving them their normal treats in moderation, check decorations including plants and make sure there are none accessible, and when traveling, plan ahead.
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