How to Keep Your Pets Safe During the Holidays

Although holidays can leave you with a warm and fuzzy glow, they add many things to the daily mix of your life that might not be good for your pets. Whether your treats disturb your stomach, be it a tree whose needles fly in your mouth or well-intentioned parents who feed them at the table, the happiest time of the year can quickly become the period the more dangerous for our four-legged friends.

This is what you need to know about the common dangers that pets face during the holidays and how to keep your dog or cat out of the veterinarian's office and that is part of this warm and fuzzy image.

Food

Yes, most of us know that chocolate is bad for pets, but the ingredients of many holiday favorites can also cause gastrointestinal problems or poisoning: garlic and onions at dinner, raisins from the table Cheese and raisins that are often found in party cookies are just a few common meals to keep away from pets.

Candies that are not chocolate can also be a problem, said Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, associate professor of clinical sciences at the Colorado State University Veterinary Hospital, because of all that sugar.

To protect your pets from food, keep them away from where they prepare and serve food, including the trash, where dogs and cats can enter to remove leftover fat and bones.

Also make sure that the breads you prepare, especially at the fermentation stage, are out of reach of pets, as they can cause gastric distention and gastroenteritis, or even alcohol poisoning, if the yeast expands and ferment in the bowels of the body. pet.

Even though a food is safe for pets, Dr. Ruch-Gallie said that many good things can also be dangerous. Dogs and cats that consume too much fatty food at the same time can develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that can release enzymes that should not be there. Most pets must be hospitalized for this.

Make sure your guests hide the potential dangers of pets, especially if coats and purses are placed in a room where the animal usually lives. Xylitol, an artificial sweetener often used on sugar-free gums, mints, mouthwash and toothpaste, is toxic to dogs.

And, if you live in a jurisdiction where such activities are legal, remember that an adventurous pet could enter the "special brownies" that you keep hidden. (Please check local laws for clarification).

Of course, your eyes can not always be monitored by your pet, but the following behaviors may indicate a problem, according to Dennis Slade, MD of the Animal Medical Center: drooling, licking lips, stimulation, difficulty getting into a comfortable position, vomiting or even just a vomit posture "and make it look like you're going to throw up" without anything coming out, "he says." These are signs that they may need to see a veterinarian. "


Decor

Holiday plants can be dangerous areas for pets, especially if you bring Easter flowers, lilies and amaryllis to your home. Dr. Slade said pets can also get angry by eating evergreen needles or drinking water from a Christmas tree if the water is stagnant because the bacteria can grow there.

The blade is especially dangerous for cats, who may think that these long silver chains are toys or that they accidentally ingest them during their personal care. It can even be more dangerous in your insides than "something like glass, a needle or an insect," he said. A long, thin article in the intestine can cause swelling of the abdominal wall or, worse yet, cross the lower part of the intestine (the same thing happens with dental floss, dispose of it carefully every time you use it).

Dr. Slade does not like to keep the lights on when he's not there in case the pets eat their ropes (because we've all seen what happened to the cat in "Christmas Vacations in National Lampoon"). He said you should make sure you cover the cables as much as possible at all times, especially if you have a puppy at home, and do not leave the candles unattended. He treated more than one cat whose tail caught Hanukkah's mind, literally.

People

The best way to define your family's expectations about your pets is to talk to them ahead of time, said Lisa Brateman, a psychotherapist and relationship specialist in New York.

"He's really telling you what the limits are," he said. This could be as simple as saying before you sit down, please do not give your pet the leftovers from the table or, if this has been a persistent problem during family meals, talk before the big day.

Dr. Ruch-Gallie suggested that if you had time, place the treats in a jar marked especially for this animal. If someone wants to offer a gift to the animal, it must come from that pot, not from any food prepared and distributed to people.

"When he left, he left," she said. In total, the sweets should not represent more than 10% of the animal's daily caloric intake, he added.

It may be easier said than done, said Mrs. Brateman, because the old family dynamic can revive the holidays.

"You cross this threshold and suddenly you are 5 years old," she says. "The stalker is still in the room and the shy person stays in the room and you act accordingly." It can also be difficult for a senior parent to respect the boundaries set by a younger parent. "They see him as the person they told him what to do, and you turn around to tell them to please do not do that, they do not respect your limits and do not see you as the adult person you are now."

Sometimes it can make a difference in referring the concern of you and your pet to the other person. If, for example, younger children mistreat a pet and do not hear about their behavior, or if the father does not hand them over to their children, talk about the children's concerns and say, "My cat can really hurt your children. children and my concern is the safety of their children, "said Ms. Brateman.

If the bustle is too much for a pet, Dr. Ruch-Gallie suggests separating them from food and people with a baby gate or designating a place for them in another part of the house. Whether it's a room you like or a cage, prepare your pet here before the big day so it's not sudden.

"Keep the status quo as much as possible, and if you can not maintain the status quo, how can you enrich your environment so that you feel less stressed by what is happening?" He said.

And if you think all this will cost your pet too much, it may not be a good idea to raise it too. Even if you want your pet to be part of the big day, your safety and your happiness may be worth a night that will stress them, hurt them or make them pay big vet bills.