Holidays with your pets

The holiday season is upon us, and many pet parents plan to include their furry companions in the festivities. As you gear up for the holidays, it is important to try to keep your pet's eating and exercise habits as close to their normal routine as possible. Also, please be sure to steer pets clear of the following unhealthy treats, toxic plants and dangerous decorations.

Be Careful with Seasonal Plants and Decorations

• Oh, Christmas Tree: Securely anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn't tip and fall, causing possible injury to your pet. This will also prevent the tree water—which may contain fertilizers that can cause stomach upset—from spilling. Stagnant tree water is a breeding ground for bacteria, and your pet could end up with nausea or diarrhea should he imbibe.
• Avoid Mistletoe & Holly: Holly, when ingested, can cause pets to suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. And many varieties of lilies can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested. Opt for just-as-jolly artificial plants made from silk or plastic, or choose a pet-safe bouquet.
• Tinsel-less Town: Kitties love this sparkly, light-catching "toy" that's easy to bat around and carry in their mouths. But a nibble can lead to a swallow, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting, dehydration and possible surgery. It's best to brighten your boughs with something other than tinsel.
• That Holiday Glow: Don't leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Be sure to use appropriate candle holders, placed on a stable surface. And if you leave the room, put the candle out!
• Wired Up: Keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws' reach. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus, while shards of breakable ornaments can damage your pet's mouth and digestive tract.

Avoid Holiday Food Dangers

• Skip the Sweets: By now you know not to feed your pets chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, but do you know the lengths to which an enterprising pet will go to chomp on something yummy? Make sure to keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food, and be sure to secure the lids on garbage cans.
• Leave the Leftovers: Fatty, spicy and no-no human foods, as well as bones, should not be fed to your furry friends. Pets can join the festivities in other fun ways that won't lead to costly medical bills.
• Careful with Cocktails: If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.
• Selecting Special Treats: Looking to stuff your pet's stockings? Stick with chew toys that are basically indestructible, Kongs that can be stuffed with healthy foods or chew treats that are designed to be safely digestible. Long, stringy things are a feline's dream, but the most risky toys for cats involve ribbon, yarn and loose little parts that can get stuck in the intestines, often necessitating surgery. Surprise kitty with a new ball that's too big to swallow, a stuffed catnip toy or the interactive cat dancer.

Please visit our People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets page for more information.

Plan a Pet-Safe Holiday Gathering

• House Rules: If your animal-loving guests would like to give your pets a little extra attention and exercise while you're busy tending to the party, ask them to feel free to start a nice play or petting session.
• Put the Meds Away: Make sure all of your medications are locked behind secure doors, and be sure to tell your guests to keep their meds zipped up and packed away, too.
• A Room of Their Own: Give your pet his own quiet space to retreat to—complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle. Shy pups and cats might want to hide out under a piece of furniture, in their carrying case or in a separate room away from the hubbub.
• New Year's Noise: As you count down to the new year, please keep in mind that strings of thrown confetti can get lodged in a cat's intestines, if ingested, perhaps necessitating surgery. Noisy poppers can terrify pets and cause possible damage to sensitive ears. And remember that many pets are also scared of fireworks, so be sure to secure them in a safe, escape-proof area as midnight approaches.

Source: aspca.org

Festive tips for pets

Christmas can be exciting and full of treats for us, but full of new dangers for pets warns veterinarian Dr Leonie Richards from the University of Melbourne's U-Vet clinic in Werribee.

Festive tips for pets:

• Chocolate – is toxic to dogs and cats, even in small quantities
• Avocadoes and macadamia nuts – can be toxic to dogs
• Fatty foods like turkey skin, pork crackling, sausages meats – can lead to inflammation of the pancreas due to the high fat content
• Onions and garlic – can cause gastric irritation and anaemia if they are consumed in large quantities
• Grapes and raisins – can cause acute kidney failure
• Christmas decorations and cooked bones- if eaten can cause obstruction of the intestine and require surgery
• Snake bites- avoid walking dogs in long grass
• Heat stress- all pets need water and shade and to rest indoors over 30 degrees

Some of the main risks to pets over the holiday season are from food including ingestion of cooked bones and Christmas decorations that can cause intestinal obstruction, and pancreatitis from fatty meals.

"We often want to treat our pets with special food at Christmas, but this can lead to disaster.," Dr Richards says.

"A common mistake at Christmas is to give the dog the ham bone, or the fatty off cuts of food. These foods often can cause pancreatitis, the symptoms which include acute vomiting, this condition can be life threatening and is a very painful miserable condition for your dog to get," Dr Richards says.

"Nuts, chocolate, sultanas, raisins, and similar foods can all be toxic to our four legged friends, so make sure that you keep these goodies out of reach, and don't give as treats. "

"If you need to give your pet a Christmas treat, pet stockings normally have harmless toys or treats. And they can have some meat from Christmas dinner, just no bones and no fat."

Christmas decorations and lights can be tempting for puppies and cats to play with, but unfortunately they can accidently ingest them, which usually results in surgery.

Once we get through Christmas, New Year's Eve comes along. If you know that your pet is noise phobic, don't leave it until the last minute to seek help, there are many strategies that can be put in place to prepare them, and sometimes medications can also be useful. 

During summer heat all pets need cool water and a shady spot, preferably indoors on days over 30 degrees, with heat stroke signs being heavy panting, drooling and staggering.

Owners also need to keep an eye on their pets for snake-bite, signs are drooling, enlarged pupils, weakness and shallow breathing.

"As for all pet emergencies the best thing is to keep pets cool, calm and still while getting them to a vet as soon as possible. Owners should remember to call ahead to check their vet is open during holiday times. Snake bite on a limb should be bandaged but do not apply a tourniquet."

source: phys.org

December is here!

Source

December

Month:

Cat Lover’s Month

Days

December 2: National Mutt Day (Round 2!)
December 4: National Cookie Day
December 5: International Volunteer Day
December 13: National Cocoa Day (the perfect day to cuddle up with a cup of hot cocoa!)
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Boxing Day (Canada)
December 31: New Year’s Eve

Source: Life Learn

At Thompson Veterinary Clinic we believe that animal education is important. We research to find the best articles, and information there is for our patient's care givers. If you have any questions or comments about this blog, please call Autumn at SeeMeKC

If you have questions, concerns, or if you want to make an appointment call Dr. Thompson's office at:  (817) 404-9222

www.drthompsonvet.com