HOLIDAY ALERTS

Here comes another holiday season. 

1. Be sure to protect your outdoor pets from the COLD.  As a minimum keep them dry and able to get out of the wind.

2.  Watch out for Xylatol sweetener in peanut butter, candies, gum and other products.  It is TOXIC to dogs and cats.

3.  A lot of holiday DECORATIONS have TINSEL or STRINGS attached.  A lot of knitting/sewing projects begin with thread and strings laying around.  New pet TOYS with squeakers and strings appear.  BEWARE!  Our furry friends love to swallow these things which can cause OBSTRUCTION.  Tinsel or string can get stuck under their tongues and cause them a lot of trouble.  Ferrets love leather and plastic.

4. As we winterize our vehicles there is increased risk of ANTIFREEZE toxicity for our pets.  A few drops can kill if ingested.

5.  Then comes the issue of feeding our pets treats.  CHOCOLATE is a favorite holiday treat.  This is toxic to our pets.  keep it safely put away.  The dark chocolate bar left on the coffee table while you answer the door is soon to be an emergency visit to your veterinarian.

All the TURKEY and HAM that we love to share with our furry friends can be deadly to them.  Too much salt, fat from the gravy and trimmings, may trigger severe gastric upset with vomiting and diarrhea, or at the worst create pancreatitis.

The innocent BONES that make the dog happy and clean the teeth can severely irritate the intestinal tract, crack teeth and perforate the bowel.

So share a smidgen but do not be generous.