Did You Know These 8 Holiday Health Hazards For Your Pet?
from theanimalrescuesite.com
1. Holiday Foods The same rules apply for Christmas as they do on Thanksgiving. It’s best to exercise caution when it comes to your pet and traditional holiday foods.
A holiday fruitcake is a longstanding (and often dreaded) holiday gift and treat. The ingredients in fruitcake, although delicious, are actually extremely dangerous to your pets. Grapes and raisins are associated with the development of kidney failure in some dogs who have ingested them, and it is best to avoid feeding these foods to your dog. Meat soaked strings leftover from a holiday ham or roast should be thrown away and taken out to the garbage immediately, as they are extremely tempting for a pet to ingest. These can get tangled inside the intestines and require surgery. Other holiday snacks such as Macadamia nuts and chocolate treats can put your dog’s health at risk. Keeping these holiday foods away from your pets will make everyone much happier.
2. Snow Globes Snow globes are only a danger to your pet if they are broken and the liquid inside of the glass globe spills out. Recently, some snow globes were found to contain antifreeze, also known as ethylene glycol, which is extremely toxic to both dogs and cats. Depending on their size, just a small amount of antifreeze can be fatal. Early signs of antifreeze poisoning include loss of coordination and excessive thirst. Long term damage to the kidneys is possible if not treated right away. If you have snow globes in your home, be sure to display them in a place where your pets cannot accidentally knock them over.
3. Electrical Cords If you’re anything like me, your house is completely covered with Christmas lights at the moment. Although these are bright and cheerful, they can also be a threat to a curious animal. Luckily, my animals have never shown an interest in electrical cords – Christmas or not – but some animals love to chew on these types of cords, and with the addition of so many new lights, that can cause many problems. Electrical shock may occur if a pet decides to bite down on a cord, which can cause burning, tongue injury, and possible death. In order to protect pets, make sure to unplug lights when you are not home, always check the light cords for signs of fraying or chewing, or opt out of lights all together.
4. Holiday Plants Holiday plants are beautiful, but some can cause extreme discomfort and even death to your pet if consumed. Poinsettias get a bad rap during the holiday season, but there are actually plenty of holiday plants that are much more toxic to dogs and cats. A single leaf from any lily variety can be lethal to cats. Holly and mistletoe are also plants to avoid, as they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and can sometimes even be fatal if ingested. Poinsettias are not off the hook, however, as they can cause mouth and stomach irritation, as well as vomiting. I’ve banned any type of living plant inside my home at all times because of my extremely curious cats, but if you do choose to have live plants in your home during the holidays use extreme caution and keep them out of the reach of intrigued pets.
5. Christmas Trees My favorite holiday tradition is decorating the Christmas tree – hands down. Although it’s pretty, you have to be careful with a number of things regarding this treasured holiday staple.
Despite the obvious risks of tinsel and ornaments that we have already discussed, there is a hidden danger that most will not realize. Many who choose a real Christmas tree decide to add fertilizer, aspirin, or another type of chemical to the water in order for it to stay fresh longer. This can pose a serious threat to your thirsty pet if they decide to consume that water, with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. If you have a real Christmas tree and have pets in the home, do not add chemicals, fertilizer, or any additions to the tree water unless it is marked as pet safe, and always use a covered tree water dish to be safe. It is also important to make sure that your tree is properly secured if you have an active climber in the house. Checking the stability of your tree every day will help protect both your pet and your treasured ornaments.
6. Tinsel Tinsel is very attractive to pets, particularly cats, because it is a shiny and dangling decoration. It is practically begging a curious pet to come investigate! While tinsel is not toxic, it can cause some serious health problems for your pets if consumed. Tinsel, once consumed, can become twisted in your pet’s intestines, cut up the digestive tract, become a choking hazard, and can sometimes be fatal if not treated right away. It is best to avoid tinsel all together in a pet friendly home. Although it is pretty, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry!
7. Ornaments Curious pets will want to investigate the colorful and shiny ornaments hanging on your tree. Ingesting these can cause many problems for your pet, including cuts on the mouth and intestines, and pose as a possible choking hazard. Make sure to decorate your tree in a “pet-safe” fashion. Glass, aluminum, and paper ornaments should be placed safely out of your pet’s reach towards the top of the tree. Caution should always be used with your pets around the tree, and make sure to remove ornaments that capture their attention in order to reduce the risk of injury.
8. Candles Just like on Halloween, holiday candles can pose a threat to curious pets. Despite the obvious fire hazard, pets can burn themselves if they get too close to the flame, and there is also the danger of spilled hot wax hurting sensitive paw pads. It is best to keep candles in a hard-to-reach spot, away from curious paws and noses, or to use fake flame candles as a substitute for real flame.
In Addition: GET RID OF YOUR REED DIFFUSERS!
Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter
This was recently forwarded to us. This is not one of our cats here at Popcorn Park, but it's very important to read and share this information with all pet owners. Thanks.
Our "office kitty," Dewey, knocked over a cinnamon reed diffuser (you know, those things with liquid and sticks in them ...to make the room smell good). He was washed up quickly, and we thought he was OK. Turns out he was NOT.
Dewey has chemical burns over a good portion of his belly and hind legs from the liquid in the reed diffuser. He spent five days at the vet having his wounds debrided. They had to put him under anesthesia to do this, because it would have been too painful otherwise. This is what some of his wounds look like after he was treated at the vet -- there is more on his belly and on his other leg, and this actually looks GOOD compared to what it looked like when he was taken to the vet. The burns did not show up for about a week or two, and we thought he was OK and was just "stained" from the liquid. That was not the case. Dewey will be OK, in time. BUT, what if this had been a CHILD? What if those chemicals had spilled on a child's face or in their eyes? You wouldn't think the "stuff" in a reed diffuser would cause such horrific burns, but obviously this one did.
THIS is NOT a joke. PLEASE share this with your friends. I would HATE to have something like this happen to a child. It's bad enough it happened to an animal. If you have children or animals,
GET RID OF YOUR REED DIFFUSERS!"
from theanimalrescuesite.com
1. Holiday Foods The same rules apply for Christmas as they do on Thanksgiving. It’s best to exercise caution when it comes to your pet and traditional holiday foods.
A holiday fruitcake is a longstanding (and often dreaded) holiday gift and treat. The ingredients in fruitcake, although delicious, are actually extremely dangerous to your pets. Grapes and raisins are associated with the development of kidney failure in some dogs who have ingested them, and it is best to avoid feeding these foods to your dog. Meat soaked strings leftover from a holiday ham or roast should be thrown away and taken out to the garbage immediately, as they are extremely tempting for a pet to ingest. These can get tangled inside the intestines and require surgery. Other holiday snacks such as Macadamia nuts and chocolate treats can put your dog’s health at risk. Keeping these holiday foods away from your pets will make everyone much happier.
2. Snow Globes Snow globes are only a danger to your pet if they are broken and the liquid inside of the glass globe spills out. Recently, some snow globes were found to contain antifreeze, also known as ethylene glycol, which is extremely toxic to both dogs and cats. Depending on their size, just a small amount of antifreeze can be fatal. Early signs of antifreeze poisoning include loss of coordination and excessive thirst. Long term damage to the kidneys is possible if not treated right away. If you have snow globes in your home, be sure to display them in a place where your pets cannot accidentally knock them over.
3. Electrical Cords If you’re anything like me, your house is completely covered with Christmas lights at the moment. Although these are bright and cheerful, they can also be a threat to a curious animal. Luckily, my animals have never shown an interest in electrical cords – Christmas or not – but some animals love to chew on these types of cords, and with the addition of so many new lights, that can cause many problems. Electrical shock may occur if a pet decides to bite down on a cord, which can cause burning, tongue injury, and possible death. In order to protect pets, make sure to unplug lights when you are not home, always check the light cords for signs of fraying or chewing, or opt out of lights all together.
4. Holiday Plants Holiday plants are beautiful, but some can cause extreme discomfort and even death to your pet if consumed. Poinsettias get a bad rap during the holiday season, but there are actually plenty of holiday plants that are much more toxic to dogs and cats. A single leaf from any lily variety can be lethal to cats. Holly and mistletoe are also plants to avoid, as they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and can sometimes even be fatal if ingested. Poinsettias are not off the hook, however, as they can cause mouth and stomach irritation, as well as vomiting. I’ve banned any type of living plant inside my home at all times because of my extremely curious cats, but if you do choose to have live plants in your home during the holidays use extreme caution and keep them out of the reach of intrigued pets.
5. Christmas Trees My favorite holiday tradition is decorating the Christmas tree – hands down. Although it’s pretty, you have to be careful with a number of things regarding this treasured holiday staple.
Despite the obvious risks of tinsel and ornaments that we have already discussed, there is a hidden danger that most will not realize. Many who choose a real Christmas tree decide to add fertilizer, aspirin, or another type of chemical to the water in order for it to stay fresh longer. This can pose a serious threat to your thirsty pet if they decide to consume that water, with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. If you have a real Christmas tree and have pets in the home, do not add chemicals, fertilizer, or any additions to the tree water unless it is marked as pet safe, and always use a covered tree water dish to be safe. It is also important to make sure that your tree is properly secured if you have an active climber in the house. Checking the stability of your tree every day will help protect both your pet and your treasured ornaments.
6. Tinsel Tinsel is very attractive to pets, particularly cats, because it is a shiny and dangling decoration. It is practically begging a curious pet to come investigate! While tinsel is not toxic, it can cause some serious health problems for your pets if consumed. Tinsel, once consumed, can become twisted in your pet’s intestines, cut up the digestive tract, become a choking hazard, and can sometimes be fatal if not treated right away. It is best to avoid tinsel all together in a pet friendly home. Although it is pretty, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry!
7. Ornaments Curious pets will want to investigate the colorful and shiny ornaments hanging on your tree. Ingesting these can cause many problems for your pet, including cuts on the mouth and intestines, and pose as a possible choking hazard. Make sure to decorate your tree in a “pet-safe” fashion. Glass, aluminum, and paper ornaments should be placed safely out of your pet’s reach towards the top of the tree. Caution should always be used with your pets around the tree, and make sure to remove ornaments that capture their attention in order to reduce the risk of injury.
8. Candles Just like on Halloween, holiday candles can pose a threat to curious pets. Despite the obvious fire hazard, pets can burn themselves if they get too close to the flame, and there is also the danger of spilled hot wax hurting sensitive paw pads. It is best to keep candles in a hard-to-reach spot, away from curious paws and noses, or to use fake flame candles as a substitute for real flame.
In Addition: GET RID OF YOUR REED DIFFUSERS!
Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter
This was recently forwarded to us. This is not one of our cats here at Popcorn Park, but it's very important to read and share this information with all pet owners. Thanks.
Our "office kitty," Dewey, knocked over a cinnamon reed diffuser (you know, those things with liquid and sticks in them ...to make the room smell good). He was washed up quickly, and we thought he was OK. Turns out he was NOT.
Dewey has chemical burns over a good portion of his belly and hind legs from the liquid in the reed diffuser. He spent five days at the vet having his wounds debrided. They had to put him under anesthesia to do this, because it would have been too painful otherwise. This is what some of his wounds look like after he was treated at the vet -- there is more on his belly and on his other leg, and this actually looks GOOD compared to what it looked like when he was taken to the vet. The burns did not show up for about a week or two, and we thought he was OK and was just "stained" from the liquid. That was not the case. Dewey will be OK, in time. BUT, what if this had been a CHILD? What if those chemicals had spilled on a child's face or in their eyes? You wouldn't think the "stuff" in a reed diffuser would cause such horrific burns, but obviously this one did.
THIS is NOT a joke. PLEASE share this with your friends. I would HATE to have something like this happen to a child. It's bad enough it happened to an animal. If you have children or animals,
GET RID OF YOUR REED DIFFUSERS!"