The holidays are an amazing time of the year to spend with family and friends, but the season may also bring dangers for pets. With all of the additional tasks you have to do, it may be easy to forget to add some pet-proofing measures to ensure your pet has a safe holiday. Here are two safety hazards to be aware of that will help keep your pets safe during the holidays. If your pet ingests something dangerous or gets injured during the holidays, it’s important to contact your veterinarian at the Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Waterloo Region or an animal hospital in Cambridge, Ontario immediately.
Alcohol
Although it’s not very likely that you, your family, or your guests will intentionally give your pet a sip of an alcoholic beverage, no one may worry about giving them a piece of fruit cake. Pets can become poisoned from the alcohol in some fruit cakes as well as unbaked bread dough. Once pets ingest unbaked bread dough, their stomachs works like an oven to metabolize the yeast (in the dough) into carbon dioxide and ethanol, which ultimately leads to alcohol poisoning from the ethanol. If your pet ingests alcohol or unbaked dough, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Ribbon and Tinsel
Cats are naturally attracted to shiny objects around the house, so if you have cats, it’s best to skip the tinsel and ribbon on your tree and wreaths this year. Tinsel is sharp and thin and will easily wrap itself around your pet’s intestines if ingested. If swallowed by cats or dogs, tinsel and ribbon can cause serious intestinal problems, so contact an emergency animal hospital in Ontario as soon as possible.
Remember to also keep chocolate treats out of reach of your pets. Also, be mindful of the foods your pet eats during the holidays, such as turkey bones, raisins, and grapes, all of which can be harmful.
Contact Our Cambridge Clinic Today
To learn more about holiday risks for pets, contact Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Waterloo Region in Cambridge.