It’s that time of year again; the holidays are upon on us once more, and that means it’s time to trim the tree with sparkly trinkets and strings of lights that shimmer alluringly.  There will be family get-togethers, brightly wrapped presents, and the aroma of roasted turkey and all the trimmings in the air.  The holiday season may be the happiest time of the year for you, but for your pet, if you’re not careful, it can be especially hazardous.

Many of our festive celebratory customs pose a significant threat to our beloved pets. Toxic temptations such as decorative plants, enticing foods, and holiday decorations can lead to serious health problems and in severe cases, death.  Pet owners should prepare for the holidays with Fido in mind so that the whole family can have a joyous holiday season.  This is not meant to scare, but rather to help you prepare so that the holidays are a safe time for your families best friend.

Let’s start with decorative plants that only seem to come around this time of year. That mistletoe, especially the berries, which we hang in hopes of a Christmas kiss, can be extremely toxic to dogs and cats.  As few as three berries from the American Mistletoe can cause dyspnea (labored, erratic breathing), gastrointestinal disorders such as vomiting and diarrhea, bradycardia (depressed heart rate), unpredictable behavior and cardiovascular collapse. In the most severe cases if left untreated your pet could suffer systemic shock and possibly death.  Fortunately, most commercially sold mistletoe has the berries removed and substitutes plastic look-alikes. Holly is another seasonal favorite that can be poisonous to your pet. The bright red holly berries are similar to mistletoe berries in that they can cause a variety of GI distress symptoms. Generally pets don’t swallow much of the holly plant because the sharp, pointy leaves dissuade chewing, but the soft, pliable berries can be irresistible. If your pet consumes any amount of mistletoe or holly, call your veterinarian immediately for instructions. It is a good idea to have the phone numbers readily available so that in a crisis you are not looking for contact information.

Commonly thought to be the most dastardly of holiday plants, the poinsettia has gotten a bad rap. The long held apprehension that these cheerful blooms are lethal to pets comes from a species of poinsettia that is native to Hawaii. Most of the varieties that are sold commercially during the holiday season are considerably less toxic than previously thought. However, if your pet consumes a large amount of a store-bought poinsettia he may experience irritation in and around the mouth from the sap of the leaves, excessive drooling, and perhaps vomiting. In most cases, washing the irritant off your pet’s fur and away from his eyes and nose will drastically reduce the inflammatory response. Call your veterinarian if your pet has severe vomiting as dehydration may become an issue.

And now for the tree – that pretty little tradition that we bring from the outdoors, into our home to warm the hearts of our family and visitors.   Let’s make sure that this natural holiday friend is a friend of Fido too.  From the gleaming, glitzy tinsel that can cause gastrointestinal blockage, to the trees’ needles that are oral irritants, our Christmas trees, usually the focal point of our holiday décor, are hazardous to our pets’ health. While cats are far more likely to eat tinsel, dogs are curious by nature and will taste anything they can reach. Styrofoam ornaments placed low on the tree or leftover packaging poses the same risk for GI obstruction. Usually the pièce de résistance of tree decorating, Christmas tree lights made of glass are extremely harmful to pets and should be avoided if possible. The lights are not toxic but the glass bulbs can lacerate or perforate an animal’s GI tract if eaten. When using tree lights, take care to manage the cords wisely and keep them inaccessible to pets. The Animal Poison Control Center (a collaborative effort with the ASPCA) cites Christmas tree water as one of their most noted holiday hazards. While the water itself is non-threatening, it may contain fertilizers and bacteria that can cause GI upset. The APCC also mentions batteries as a common danger during the holidays. Fido could suffer severe acid burns if he bites into a battery and breaks the outer hull. A good practice is to dispose of old batteries properly before replacing them with new ones.

While your pooch may think everything is edible there are certain delicious human holiday (or any day for that matter) treats that your pet should not eat. Probably the biggest concern during the holidays is all those yummy chocolate goodies floating around. Not only is chocolate high in fat it contains a stimulant with caffeine-like effects known as methylxanthine. Methylxanthines are alkaloid molecules that include theobromine. Theobromine is greatly abundant in products of the cocoa tree. Dogs (and other domestic animals) lack the ability to effectively metabolize theobromine. Signs of theobromine poisoning include nausea and vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and increased urination or incontinence. Your pet’s heart, kidneys, and central nervous system will be affected with even the smallest amount of chocolate. As little as 2 ounces of bakers’ chocolate can cause serious clinical symptoms in a 10 pound pet. Cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisoning. Dark chocolate contains higher levels of theobromine than milk chocolate. Bakers’ chocolate is widely known to contain lethal doses of theobromine. Remember this rule: the higher the quality of chocolate, the higher the level of theobromine.

Other food hazards to take note of include: alcoholic beverages (Ok, that’s not a food but it is still worth mentioning) which can depress the nervous system, which in turn regulates involuntary actions such as breathing. Avocado, coffee, fatty foods, onions, raisins (and grapes) also made the list of foods to keep out of reach of Fido.

Even with the best precautions in place our beloved, clever pets find a way to get into things they shouldn’t. The best thing you can do for your pooch right now is to be prepared and have a plan in place. The experts at Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital recommend keeping an up-to-date medical history file on your pet (just like the rest of your family) with important phone numbers easily accessible. Posting phone numbers on the refrigerator or any other place only works if the space is not cluttered with other papers like coupons or shopping lists. The three most important phone numbers to have handy in case of an emergency are your pets’ veterinarian, your preferred emergency veterinary hospital, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. For those of you who are reading about the APCC for the first time, the hotline is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year. 1-888-426-4435. There will be a sixty dollar consultation fee to call and use the service so have your credit card ready. If you have to transport your pet to an emergency animal hospital, know which one you are going to use as there is usually more than one in any given metro area. Plan ahead and know where it is and how to get there. If you do not know of a local emergency vet in your area check out http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/vetmap.html for state-by-state locations and contact information.

Before you call or drive to the emergency vet hospital it is helpful if you have pertinent information ready:
- Specific symptoms (vomiting, shaking, disorientation)
- Exposure, (what chemical, how much, how long ago)
- Your pet’s information (species, age, sex, weight*this is critical when toxic substances are involved*)
- If possible, in a sealable bag, collect a sample of the plant, chemical, or container.

Christmas and all the yuletide festivities are lost on our four legged family. If you want to express your love for your pooch above and beyond all new chew toys, tug ropes and tennis balls, instead of giving them table scraps to commemorate the special day, take a new route, complete with a whole slew of new smells, for your walk. Your companion will appreciate the one-on-one time with you and you’ll get some fresh air and exercise before jumping into that yummy pumpkin pie! Taking your pet for a special ride in the car or staying an extra fifteen minutes at the dog park is a much better way to reward him for his companionship than indulging him with fatty human foods or harmful treats. Remember that your canine companion welcomes your attention more than anything else in the world.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.

…And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to All and To All Dogs a Good Life!"

By Kristine Spitzer