Keeping Your Pet Safe During the Winter Holidays

Keeping your pets safe during the winter holidays may take a little planning and preparation.

During this time of the year, many people will gather for holiday parties with all of the delicious smells and exciting new people. Our pets may take advantage of dropped goodies or even an unattended latte.

It’s natural to want to share our food with our pets, but some things should be avoided. Excessively salty or fatty foods; foods with onions or onion powder in them; grapes and raisons; poultry bones – all should be avoided. Chocolate and sweets deserve special mention, due to their abundance during this time of the year. Some candies and foods that contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol can actually cause a rapid decrease in blood sugar in dogs and has even been implicated in cases of liver failure. Chocolate is a well known toxin for dogs, but the baking chocolate and semi-sweet varieties are much more dangerous, causing heart problems, vomiting and even sometimes they can be fatal. And it should go without saying that your pet should never be given alcoholic beverages.

Holiday plants are another source of potential problems. Almost any member of the lily family can be deadly to cats. And other holiday foliage, such as mistletoe ands holly can also cause severe stomach upset. Most of the time poinsettias, however, only cause mild digestive irritation.

Artificial decorations aren’t safe either. To a cat, ribbons or strands of tinsel are a big temptation, and if swallowed, actually cause major problems once they are in the intestines. Electrical chords cause burns or even electrocutions. And glass ornaments can be broken and cut your pet’s mouth, and if swallowed, can cause very severe problems.

The outdoor world may be just as bad. A common poison for pets during the winter months is anti-freeze. Its pleasant, sweet taste makes it a deadly poison. Even if you suspect that your pet has consumed some anti-freeze, please do not hesitate to call your veterinarian immediately. Ice melting products and rodent poisons are also very dangerous.

Pets suffer the effects of frostbite and hypothermia when it gets cold, just as easily as we do. If your pet must stay outdoors, please be sure to provide them shelter from wind and moisture, those are the two big things. Get them out of the wind and keep them dry. In this case, bigger is not better. If you can get a smaller pet house, it will actually trap their body heat and it becomes more efficient. Using heated waters bowl and replenishing the water every day is also a good idea.

Know your pet’s limitations during this season. Older dogs may not be as sure-footed on ice, and young puppies may not have enough body fat to keep them warm in the snow. If an older dog slips on the ice, he can actually tear ligaments between its legs and cause very severe problems. Those young puppies, maybe even a coat would be a good idea, especially for shorthaired dogs.

Wintertime can be a glorious time and full of family fun. It does not have to involve a visit to the emergency room. So take these few precautions.