The holiday season is upon us! Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Halloween and Christmas are right around the corner. I thought I would take this opportunity, to talk a little about a few things we should think about during this season in regards to our pets. The most common thing we tend to see during the holidays are a lot of upset tummies from getting into food they shouldn't have! Remember, chocolate is toxic to our pets. It contains theobromine, and our pets can't break it down. The darker and purer the chocolate is, the worse it is for our pets. There tends to be a lot of chocolate in our houses now for Halloween. Make sure it's out of sight and smell! If your dog does get into chocolate, call the clinic immediately! This is also the season when we get together with family and friends and have some fantastic Turkey and Ham dinners. A lot of people would like to give their pets a little holiday treat as well. Remember our pets are considerably smaller than we are, so if they get a chunk of ham or turkey, it can be very rich to their system. The end result would be a pet with vomiting and diarrhea, and in some instances they can get a condition called pancreatitis. This condition requires hospitalization, and in some cases has caused death.  It might be safer to give pets a special PET treat, as compared to giving them human food! With Halloween, there are lots of little munchkins running around in costumes. It may be a good idea to keep your cats indoors on the 31st, to prevent them from getting spooked, or from them getting caught in some Halloween mischief. With the holidays, comes wrapping presents! Cats are notorious for getting into ribbons and wrapping paper. My cat is horrible for finding the ribbon and chewing it into bits! I've been lucky in the fact that all that's happened to him, is that he's had some very colourful poop! He will actually stalk the ribbon dispenser, and the minute my back is turned, he grabs the end of the ribbon and takes off! This can be a hazard for them in the fact that they can eat ribbon and it can cause a blockage, or tear the intestine.  If that happens, they have to have emergency surgery. Many people like to decorate for the holidays. Remember your cat sees the Christmas tree as a challenge to climb, not as a beautiful decoration! Have your tree stabilized and use decorations that aren't breakable. Tinsel is a no-no for the same reason ribbon is bad. Our feline family members can't seem to leave tinsel alone....so it might be a good idea not to use it. Bouquets and Poinsettias are also part of the holidays. Some plants are toxic to ours pets as well. Lilies and poinsettias are the most common that you have to keep an eye on. Again, if your pet eats a plant you're not sure of, give us a call. The holidays are a very busy and happy time. If you plan ahead, and pet proof your holidays, you have one less thing to worry about! Happy Holidays!
 
K