COLD WEATHER & HOLIDAY PET SAFETY

published in the Northeast Times

 

November and December were very deceiving this past year. We  had only a couple of days that felt remotely like winter. However, I’m assured by the Farmer’s Almanac that winter WILL eventually come. When it does you should be prepared. As you make a plan for your holiday lights, furnace maintenance, and winterizing your car, don’t forget to consider your pet’s needs during the colder holiday months too.

 

For most families the holiday months are very busy. Between travel, family visits, holiday decorations, parties, and gift giving, there is no shortage of holiday hazards to pets. Most hazards are things that may make sense, like pets breaking ornaments and getting cut on the glass, and others may not be as obvious, like the stress a cat may feel with a large number of guests in your home visiting or for a party. That stress may turn into urinating outside the litter box, and that’s stressful for everybody!

 

 

The Christmas tree has several potential hazards associated with it. Tinsel is an expensive surgery waiting to happen when pets try to eat or play with it. If a pet (especially common in cats) try to eat the tinsel, it may become lodged at one end and then cause the intestines to bunch up around it. This can cause life-threatening damage. These kind of obstructions usually present with vomiting, but some cats are very good at hiding illness and won’t show you there is a problem until they are too sick to function.

 

Ribbon on gifts under the tree can be the same type of problem as the tinsel. Fun curly ribbon is especially irresistible. 

 

Ornaments on the tree are just shiny play toys to most pets. You may want to consider placing the breakable ornaments high on the tree and the play-toys lower on the tree. 

 

All trees can be fun to climb for a cat. Can you imagine a more fun scratching post? Consider anchoring your tree to the wall or ceiling to help avoid a disastrous tip-over.

 

If you have a live tree – keep the water reservoir covered. Between the sap, chemicals, fertilizer, and fun bacteria growing in stagnant water, it’s NOT a healthy drink. Hopefully, the worst that will happen is an upset stomach, but more significant illness is also possible. If the pet drinks all the water in the reservoir dry, your tree may dry out prematurely and become a fire hazard as well.

 

Whether indoor or outdoor, strands of lights can be an electrocution problem. Low-voltage LED lights are not nearly the same danger, but electrocution can happen even at that low wattage. Electrocution usually occurs when a pet bites an extension or light cord. This can cause severe burns in the mouth and even more lethal collection of fluid in the lungs. Keep cords covered or out of pets’ reach.

 

Holiday plants are another hazard to consider. Contrary to popular belief Poinsettias are not terribly toxic. I can’t say that they are perfectly “safe”, however because the sap can cause mouth and tummy irritation. However, they are not considered highly toxic. 

 

Mistletoe is another story. The berries can be a huge problem and you must be careful. If you have a pet that is likely to chew a plant, keep the poinsettia and mistletoe out of reach. If they do eat some of it, call your veterinarian if you are concerned.

 

Whether on the table, in the window, on the Menorah, or in the Advent wreath, candles can represent a fire hazard. Cats can singe whiskers and an overly active tail can knock candles over. As with small children, consider using electric candles or only lighting them when you will be present to supervise.  

 

 

If you are planning on traveling with your pets this holiday season, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

 

If you are flying, you need to check with the airline to ensure you are carrying the proper documentation. In many cases the proof of rabies vaccination is enough, but depending on where and how your pet is traveling, you may be required to get a health certificate PRIOR to flying. 

 

When driving, you need to keep your rabies vaccination certificate handy. Tags don’t count – the paper is the important document. 

 

Do NOT travel with a pet in the open bed of a pickup or other vehicle. It is much too cold in the winter for that. Frost bite or worse can happen very quickly when the wind speed is 60mph and the temperature is freezing.

 

Plan ahead where you will stay. If staying in hotels/motels, you will want to make sure you have flea and tick prevention applied so that you don’t carry any unwanted guests home with you.

 

Meeting new people and pets can be stressful. Do not assume that your mild-mannered pet will be so mild when confronted with a high energy dog on somebody else’s turf. Make introductions slowly and with a calm atmosphere. If you go slow and keep it calm, you may not have to keep everyone separate during your stay, or worse yet, make a trip to the emergency hospital for a bite wound.

 

When outside your home environment, you must be diligent in watching for chemical hazards that you may not have in your home. Rodent baits, plants, trash, or personal medications can all be important hazards to keep in mind.

 

 

The same rich, sweet, fatty holiday treats we all crave during the holiday season can spell trouble for our pets. Keep in mind that their bodies aren’t made for all that wonderful richness. High fat foods can trigger severe diseases like pancreatitis. Vomiting and diarrhea are common complaints we see the week of a holiday because owners have allowed their pets too many “treats.”

 

Turkey or ham leftovers in the garbage must be taken out immediately and put in a can. Both cats and dogs will have no problem digging through a garbage bag to get to the old carcass. 

 

I’m a big believer that treats are a vital part of life as I know it. We want our pets to share in the holiday and get treats just like we are getting. Consider getting them a pet-friendly treat like a special chew bone, or home-made dog biscuits. If you must give them a treat from the table, make sure it is lean and small. Little bits are just as exciting as big bits and are much less likely to cause problems. 

 

Yummy, wonderful, chocolate. The cocoa is the problem for dogs. Cocoa contains caffeine and caffeine-like substances that dog’s don’t handle well. The darker the chocolate, the more severe the problem. The simple answer is that we shouldn’t give ANY chocolate to dogs. This time of year, however, we often times are using baker’s chocolate or have large bowls of chocolate goodies. Just one ounce of baker’s chocolate can be lethal to a small or medium dog. Be careful and keep them out of reach! 

 

 

Thankfully in Texas we don’t have much snow and ice. Ice melt can cause irritation or vomiting if your pet steps in it and then grooms their feet. Slippery conditions can be just as hazardous to your elderly pet as it is to your elderly family member. 

 

Small, thin, shaven, or hairless pets should be protected from the cold with sweaters or coats. Outdoor dogs MUST have shelter where they can keep warm. Keep a water source always available for outdoor pets. Cats will often times hide if the weather turns too nasty, so don’t let cats out to roam if the weather is going to turn cold or wet. 

 

The engine block is usually a warm place to snuggle up to when it’s cold outside, so be careful if you have outdoor cats that they haven’t climbed up under the hood. Fan blades and belts are dangerous if the cat is hiding when you start the car. Always check under your car or bang on the hood to make sure nobody is hiding.

 

Just like we warn you to NEVER leave a pet unattended in a car during the summer, you must also be careful during the winter. Don’t leave a pet in the car and assume that it will stay warm.

 

When you winterize your vehicle, be particularly careful with engine coolant. Antifreeze is sweet and irresistible to pets. It is rapidly fatal as well. There are less toxic options out there, but even those are only less toxic, not non-toxic.  

 

If you run into any problems, always keep your primary care veterinarian, emergency hospital, and animal poison control numbers handy. 

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control number is (888)426-4435. 
There is a charge, but it is worth every penny.

 

Enjoy the holidays. Enjoy family, friends, giving (and receiving), and be thankful that we have all made it around the sun once more. And don’t forget to be conscious of both yours and your pet’s safety.