Holiday Pet Safety Tips: Turkey, Tinsel, and Times Square
Protecting Your Pet’s Health & Holiday Season Cheer
In a USA Today survey conducted last year, 81% of respondents planned on buying a holiday or Christmas gift for their pet, with 15% of those same people spending somewhere between $51 and $75 on their animal. If that doesn’t show just how important our pets are to the modern-day family dynamic, we don’t know what does!
Your pet’s health and happiness during the holidays don’t rely solely on gift giving — keeping them safe from common holiday-related toxins and dangers is critical to ensuring optimal holiday cheer.
From toxin ingestions to foreign body blockages to fireworks anxiety, the six weeks around Thanksgiving and New Year's are traditionally the busiest time of year for veterinarians, especially emergency vets, who see a 372% increase in visits on Christmas Eve alone compared to the rest of the year.
While not every illness and injury can be prevented, with increased diligence and awareness of potential dangers, pet parents can keep their animals happy and healthy all season long.
Toxin Ingestion
As much as you may want your pet to participate in your Thanksgiving meal, certain holiday foods can cause gastrointestinal (GI) upset in animals. Indiscriminate eating runs rampant, whether they sneak food off the counter, go dumpster diving in the kitchen trash can, or get fed by a well-meaning grandmother.
Common holiday toxins to be mindful of:
Chocolate: Chocolate is toxic to pets in the wrong quantities, especially when dark chocolate is consumed or your animal is small. Keep chocolate locked away or tightly wrapped.
Raw Dough & Pies: The yeast in uncooked dough can expand in the stomach and cause bloating, which is a medical emergency for pets. Also, avoid all desserts and pies, as they often contain sugar, chocolate, or artificial sweeteners like xylitol.
Stuffing & Casseroles: Side dishes often contain onions, garlic, and some herbs that are toxic to dogs and cats. Additionally, avoid richly seasoned dishes like green bean casserole or macaroni and cheese.
Gravy & Sauces: Gravy and sauce are high in fat and salt, which can trigger an upset stomach or even pancreatitis.
Turkey Bones & Skin: Turkey bones, especially when cooked, are a choking hazard and can splinter, causing damage to the GI tract. Turkey skin is high in fat content as well, which can again trigger GI upset or pancreatitis.
Eggnog & Alcoholic Beverages: Pets should ideally not be consuming any beverages except water. Keep an eye on unattended cocktails, wine glasses, coffee, and hot chocolate (especially those counter-surfing kitties!).
In addition to human foods, many seasonal plants, including mistletoe, holly, lilies, and poinsettias, can make your pets sick if ingested. Opt for artificial plants where you can or place live plants high and out of reach, especially if you have a cat.
Foreign Bodies
Even the best pets are at a higher risk for foreign body ingestion during the holidays, given the nature of decorations, presents, and added stress. Dogs classically eat all kinds of stuff they’re not supposed to, but things like tinsel, ribbon, string, ornament hooks, and even string lights can look appealing to cats. Ingesting non-food items is called indiscriminate eating in pets, and it’s very common this time of year.
To keep foreign bodies out of your pet’s GI tract:
Watch cats around holiday decorations or separate them from decorations when they aren’t being directly monitored
Keep food trash secured in a reliable trash can (ideally with a locking lid) or put it in the garbage cans outside right away
Don’t give your dogs anything to chew on that can’t be indented with your thumbnail. If you’d break your own teeth chewing on it, it’s probably too hard for your dog! This is jokingly called the “rule of thumb”.
Stress & Anxiety
Between frequent parties, family and friends visiting, increased travel, and New Year’s Eve tomfoolery, the holidays can be just as stressful as they are fun for both humans and pets. For cats, specifically, a change in routine and environment can even cause feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) flare-ups. That’s why managing stress and anxiety in pets is especially important during a time when routines are often interrupted.
Manage your pet’s stress levels around the holidays:
Proactively managing any known or pre-existing issues (urinary issues in cats, noise aversion/anxiety in dogs) and getting the medications ready before flare-ups or problems arise
Planning ahead for long drives with secure carriers, plenty of water, extra potty breaks, and never leaving pets in cold or hot cars for too long during pit stops
Knowing your pet’s triggers and trying to avoid them, whether it be loud sounds, unfamiliar people, or strange new activities
Other Wintertime Dangers
While toxins, foreign bodies, and stress are the most common reasons for unexpected veterinary visits during the holidays, there are a few other areas pet parents should be aware of during this time, including:
Scented candles and diffusers: Artificial scents and essential oils can cause respiratory irritation in cats with pre-existing feline asthma. Choose pet-friendly alternatives, and be extra careful with scents like eucalyptus, pine, and cinnamon.
Christmas tree water: If you have a live tree in your home, keep the water container covered and away from your animals, as tree water can contain fertilizers, aspirin, and sometimes mold.
Cold weather: Salt, antifreeze, and icy sidewalks are hidden risks for our pets who venture outside the home, so make sure to wipe paws after walks, store antifreeze safely, and use pet-safe ice-melt on sidewalks.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Even with all the knowledge to keep your pets safe around the holidays, they can be unpredictable, and things happen that are sometimes out of our control. That’s why we always recommend pet insurance to all pet owners. Pet insurance can provide not only a reduction in financial burden for emergencies, but an increase in peace of mind as well, knowing your pet is covered just in case.
We recommend Pawlicy Advisor as a non-biased resource, but always do your research and find a plan that works for your animal, your budget, and your needs. Since many insurance companies have a waiting period between sign-up and when coverage actually begins, it’s critical to get pet insurance before you’re calling your vet for a last-minute, urgent care appointment.
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If you’re in the Dallas area and are in need of at-home veterinary care this holiday season, Dr. Olson and the team at Dallas Veterinary Concierge are here to help! Call, text, or email us to schedule an appointment, and we’ll do our best to accommodate urgent visits for the unexpected and unplanned.