How to Have a Safe Pet Christmas
>> Dec 23, 2013
Christmas, as we know, is “the most
wonderful time of the year”… But what should be “the happiest season of all”
can soon degenerate into something quite different, if we ignore the dangers
our festive celebrations can pose to our animals. For instance, while Christmas
dinner may look very tempting to your Labrador or Golden Retriever (and who are
you to deny him on Christmas Day??), for them there is far more at stake than
simply their waistline.
Among the many unexpected hazards on your
Christmas menu are the onions in your gravy and stuffing. Onions contain a
substance known as thiosulphate, which is toxic to dogs and cats, causing
oxidative damage to red blood cells. Early signs of onion poisoning include
diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy.
Turkey bones – from your plate, kitchen
counter, or rubbish bin – are hollow, and splinter easily, causing obstruction
and sometimes perforation of the intestinal tract.
You also need to be cautious once pudding
has arrived….. Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies are rich in
alcohol and raisins, which, like onions, are toxic to dogs and cats. Grapes and
raisins are especially hazardous.
Nuts (macadamias, in particular) are
likewise dangerous to pets. Signs of macadamia poisoning include weakness and
ataxia (difficulty walking, due to lack of coordination).
Once you have removed the onions, bones,
raisins and nuts from your pet’s Christmas dinner, you can treat them to some
fat trimmings and roast potatoes but be aware fatty meals can result in loose
stools or potentially a trip to the vets.
Sadly, not only our Christmas dinner but
also our Christmas decorations, can be dangerous to pets. Christmas trees
(pine), holly, mistletoe and poinsettia are all mildly toxic, causing diarrhoea
and vomiting if ingested. Furthermore, though we may know chocolate is toxic to
pets, it is easy to overlook the chocolate coins dangling enticingly from
branches, or wrapped beneath the tree.
Non-chocolate tree decorations can also be
tempting to our pets. As well as presenting a choking hazard, baubles tend to
shatter, causing lacerations to the mouth and/or intestines. Tinsel can be
eaten like spaghetti. Unlike spaghetti, however, tinsel bunches and twists
within the intestines, requiring immediate surgery.