Pet Health Library – Marin Pet Hospital, San Rafael, CA

Winter Holiday Health Tips

The Holidays are a wonderful for get togethers with friends and family. They are also a fabulous time for your pet to get into trouble. By following the guidelines listed below, you may be able to limit your pet’s access to disaster.

1. Make sure that friends and family close gates and doors when they come to your home. This small act will help to ensure your pet does not wander off or be hit by a car.
2. Keep your pet out of reach of all the yummy food you will be serving. Some pets are particularly sensitive to fats, and even a cheese cube can be enough to put your pet over the edge for a gastrointestinal issue varying from diarrhea and vomiting to pancreatitis. Keep an eye on those super nice guests who try to get your pet into the holiday spirit by feeding treats under the table. We recommend that your pet enjoy the holidays with his regular pet food, and a properly sanctioned pet treat.
3. Be careful about your pet eating strings and ribbons off of packages and tinsel and decorations from the tree. We recommend cleaning up all wrappings as soon as they come off their packages. We do not recommend hanging loose tinsel from your tree; kitties in particular love to play with and then eat tinsel. As tinsel travels through the intestinal track it can become a source of irritation, and in the worst case scenario can bind up the intestines, which requires surgery to fix.
4. Common holiday plants to beware of are: mistletoe and poinsettia. These are toxic to pets.
5. Keep your pet out of the water container at the base of your Christmas tree as there can be additives in the water that are toxic to your pet.
6. Chocolate is toxic. The darker the chocolate the more toxic it is. Any ingestion of chocolate we recommend consulting with your veterinarian as soon as possible. As a precaution we recommend that you do not put presents with chocolate under the tree where they are easily accessible by your pet.
7. Antifreeze is toxic. If you catch you pet licking up antifreeze call your vet ASAP.

We here at Marin Pet Hospital hope you and your furry friends have a happy and safe Holiday Season.