Beware of Hidden Dangers During the Holidays: How to Keep Your Pet Merry!...By Lori Salmonsen

You can help your pet to have a merrier holiday by knowing possible dangers and taking precautions to keep your pets safe. Some of the dangers during the holidays involve real Christmas trees, real garland, tinsel, wrapped packages, plants, chocolate, turkey, bones, stress, antifreeze, and giving animals as gifts.

Christmas Trees:
Real Christmas trees pose a threat to cats in particular because the trees are so tempting to them. They like the smell of the tree and they like to climb them and hide under them. If a cat climbs a Christmas tree in the house and knocks the tree over, the cat could get hurt and ornaments may break. If you have a real tree, be sure it is secured and can't fall over. If no one is home at the time, lights on the tree could possibly start a fire if the tree is leaning against carpet or something flammable. Another hazard is pine needles. If a cat or dog eats pine needles, the needles can puncture the inner organs. Clean up pine needles that fall off the tree right away and make sure the tree stand is always full of water to keep the tree from drying out. Don't let dogs drink the water in the tree stand because the water may contain harmful chemicals. Better yet, get yourself a nice artificial tree to eliminate these problems. Light a pine scented candle to get that wonderful woodsy fragrance.

Tinsel:
Tinsel is very dangerous to cats because they are attracted to it, and it can kill them if ingested. The tinsel can get tangled in their intestines and could kill them if not treated with surgery.

Real Garland:
Real garland, which is made of real pine boughs tied together, poses many of the same dangers as a real tree because of the pine needles. Real garlands are beautiful, but it's important to keep them out of the reach of cats and to remove the garlands from the house when they dry out and begin losing needles.

Ribbons and Such:
Cats and dogs, especially puppies and kittens, find the bows and ribbons on packages interesting to play with and chew. The dye in the ribbon is harmful to them, and the ribbon can damage the internal organs or suffocate them if lodged in the throat. In addition, it may cause them to throw up dye-staining vomit on your carpet.
Plants:
Mistletoe is toxic to dogs and cats, especially the berries. Poinsettias can cause stomach or mouth irritations even if eaten in small amounts. Other plants to avoid are the Christmas Rose, English Holly, Jerusalem Cherry and Amaryllis.

Chocolate:
Oh, don't we all love chocolate? Unfortunately, so do cats and dogs. Do NOT give it to them. Chocolate can be lethal to dogs, and it is toxic to cats. Cats and dogs have keen senses of smell and can smell chocolate even if it seems out of the way and is wrapped. If you're going to have chocolate and candies, keep them in a covered container or in a cabinet.

Turkey Dinner:
Turkey and its usual accompaniments are not good for cats and dogs since they cannot digest it that well. Cat and dog food, especially natural brands, are made with the kinds of food they need and can digest safely, so give them an extra hug or one of their treats instead of your holiday dinner. Do not give dogs small poultry bones because the bones are sharp and can splinter easily, becoming lodged in the dog's throat or perforating the intestinal tract.

Stress:
Cats and dogs feel stress just like humans do. They are sensitive to things going on around them including your tone of voice, your emotions, and your stress level. It's important to remember that they may be stressed during the holidays and to realize it may be reflected in their behavior. They may do things that they don't ordinarily do such as throw up, act wild, hide, bark, whine, not eat, or shed more hair. You will have to pay attention to your pet's behavior, and if it seems different than usual, watch them closely to determine the cause of their behavior change. If you think it's stress-related, try to find some quiet time to spend with them. Also, try to be more patient and forgiving of their behavior during the holidays because being angry with them will only make the situation worse.

Antifreeze:
Be careful not to leave spilled antifreeze on the ground. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that dogs and cats love, but it can make them very sick if ingested and possibly kill them.

Do Not Give an Animal as a Gift:
One of the most important things to remember during the holidays is that it's not a good idea to give an animal as a gift. Many animals end up in the animal shelters after the holidays because they were given as gifts to people who didn't want an animal or couldn't care for one. Having a pet is a decision that must be taken very seriously and given a lot of thought by the person or family who will be caring for that animal.

If you decide to adopt a cat or dog, do so early or wait until after the holidays. After the holiday mayhem is over, you will have more time to devote to helping the animal become acquainted with the members of your family and its new home and properly care for the animal.