Keeping Your Pets Safe For The Up-Coming Holidays
Fall is right around the corner and before you know it, it’s time to start thinking about the holidays. Pets have become a major part of the family and if pet owners aren’t careful, that shiny fun decoration may cause a trip to the veterinary hospital emergency room! If your pet needs to be seen asap, contact our Veterinary Hospital in Nolensville, TN, today.
Read on for some tips for pet owners this upcoming holiday season!
Pretty Ribbons and Shiny Tinsel equals Pet Disaster
Cats can’t resist shiny, silver tinsel and pretty ribbons hanging from a Christmas tree, and while these decorations aren’t toxic, they can cause serious injury to a pet if they are consumed.
Pets that have ingested tinsel or ribbon may show symptoms that include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Depression
- Belly pain
- Fever
As tinsel and ribbon try to pass through the body, the strands can twist, bunch up, and cut through the intestinal wall. The recovery prognosis from this type of injury is poor. Pet owners with cats may want to consider replacing tinsel and ribbons with another type of decoration.
Ornaments and Problems with Pets
If they can reach them, pets can chew and swallow ornaments which may create choking hazards. Depending on what it is made of, broken pieces can lacerate a pet’s mouth, throat, and intestines.
Pets that have ingested ornamental holiday decorations may show signs of:
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Holiday Lights and An Electric Shock to Pets
Decorative lights pose a danger, especially to animals that like to chew. All cords should be checked for signs of frayed or chewed wires, and always should be used with a grounded three-prong extension cord as a safety precaution.
An animal that bites down on a string of holiday lights or on an extension cord can receive an electric shock.
Signs and Symptoms of pet electrocuted and electric shock:
- Burns
- Breathing difficulties
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Loss of consciousness
- Death
An animal that is injured by an electrical shock should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.
Five Toxic Holiday Plants You Want To Keep Away From Your Pets
Plants are often used to adorn a home during the holidays, but decorating with the wrong plants can turn disastrous, and pet owners need to have knowledge of these dangers. The following five plants pose the biggest threat to an animal’s well-being.
- Poinsettias have long been thought to be extremely toxic to animals, but in truth they are not very dangerous. Signs an animal has ingested poinsettias are:
- Irritation of mouth
- Irritation of stomach
- Vomiting
- Holly berries and their leaves can poison an animal. When ingested, an animal will show signs of:
- Intense vomiting
- Belly pain
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Mistletoe is extremely toxic. An animal that ingests any part of this plant should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Severe diarrhea
- Difficult breathing
- Collapse
- Erratic behavior
- Hallucinations
- Shock
- Death
- Lilies are deadly to cats. The ingestion of one leaf of a lily can cause kidney failure and death.
- Pine tree needles can be toxic and cause the following symptoms:
- Oral irritation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Trembling
- Posterior weakness
Live trees also pose an additional problem to animals. Often the water is given an additive to keep the tree looking fresh for a longer period of time, and this additive may have a chemical that is poisonous to animals. Make sure you keep pets from drinking this water.
Veterinary Hospital Nolensville, TN
Crossroads veterinary hospital in Nolensville, TN, offers state of the art digital radiology, abdominal ultrasound, in house laboratory testing and high quality of patient care. Our goal is to be the best advocate for your pet during all stages of life, injury, disease, and illness. Learn more about Crossroads veterinary services, today.