Christmas is an exciting time of the year for many of us, including our pets. While we may love to spread the Christmas cheer, not all pets may enjoy the extra festivities. Among the presents and the parties, we need to be aware of some of the dangers that our pets can face at this time of the year.
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With the coming and going of guests and visitors, gates or doors may unintentionally be left opened allowing your pet to wander off. Ensure that your pet has a collar on with identification and that your contact details for their microchip are all up to date.
Guests may think it's ok to give your pet a few table scraps from their plate. Best to advise your guests not to feed any animals and make sure your pet sticks to their normal diet. Table scraps, including ham and cooked bones, kebab sticks and corn cobs can all cause a variety of medical problems from seizures to kidney failure, gastroenteritis or pancreatitis. Sultanas, grapes and raisins, including mince pies, Christmas pudding and macadamia nuts are also all very bad for our pets and don't forget, chocolate is definitely to be avoided too!
The Christmas tree while beautiful to behold, can also be a Christmas crisis waiting to happen with our pets about! Be aware of what Christmas decorations you use. With all their sparkle, Christmas decorations can be very tempting to our curious pets. Ingested decorations, especially tinsel, can be fatal. Teething puppies may chew on power cords and inquisitive animals can get tangled in lights. Glass or breakable decorations can be toppled and knocked over creating not only a mess for you to clean up but also a hazard for your pet.
If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure to prevent your pets from drinking out of the tree water bowl. It may contain preservatives which are dangerous and if the water sits there for any length of time, harmful bacteria may have built up in it which can cause tummy upsets. Be sure that your tree is secure or has a barrier to prevent your pet from accessing it. Falling trees can cause serious injuries to our pets, not to mention the damage they can do when trying to escape the jumbled mess they created in demolishing your decorations.
Also, ensure your pet has somewhere safe and quiet that they can retreat to if need be, as having a lot of people around can be stressful for them.
Santa Paws will be visiting us on Saturday the 14th from 3pm till 5pm so that you can have your pet's photo done with Santa! Our team will be available over the holiday period should your pet need medical attention at all by calling us on 02 6953 3111.
Lastly, our team here at the Leeton Veterinary Hospital wish you all a very safe & merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
