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Pitfalls for pets
Celebrating holidays is great for people but can hold hidden
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by SUSAN CRATON
Pawli, an 8-year-old beagle-mix, is examined by veterinarian Nancy Knight at the Well Pet Clinic in Lexington Park. Pawli received a kennel cough vaccination during the visit to prepare her for an upcoming stay at a kennel over the holidays.
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Nancy Knight, a veterinarian with the Well Pet Clinic in Lexington Park, greeted Jim Fields of Lusby and his dog, Pawli, an 8-year-old beagle-mix, in the clinic's waiting area on a recent Thursday afternoon.
"We need to get on the scale, honeybun," Knight said to the dog.
After commenting on a slight change in Pawli's weight, Knight ushered Fields and his dog back to an examining room for the main reason for the visit. Pawli needed a kennel cough shot to protect her during an upcoming stay in a kennel. Her family has travel plans during the holidays. Pawli also received her distemper shot.
Knight noted that the timing for Fields' visit was good. "If [pet owners] are putting their pets in kennels, they need to get them the kennel cough vaccination at least a week ahead of time," she said.
Knight, who has been working at the Well Pet Clinic, a low-cost clinic that emphasizes spaying and neutering, for 14 years and Kathy Delozier, co-owner of the clinic with Irma Delozier, said the timing of a kennel cough vaccination is just one of many issues pet owners may need to consider over the holidays.
Poisonous plants, tinsel, chocolate and stress are just some of the other potential pitfalls that come with the holiday.
The biggest mistake
"The biggest tragedy around Christmas is people giving pets for Christmas presents," Delozier said. "Invariably, by the time spring gets here, people are tired of those pets and turn them in."
Knight said people should generally not choose a pet for someone else. "It's such an individual choice," she said.
It's a great idea to start talking about buying or adopting a pet — many animals need good homes – but the decision should be made carefully, Knight and Delozier said. "People should make sure that's what they want," Knight said. "It's nice to take your time and make a good selection."
People food
The second-biggest holiday pitfall for pets is animals being given or getting into food intended for people. Knight said they call the resulting illness "garbage can enteritis." Knight shook her head about tales she's heard, like the one about the little dog that jumped up on a table and ate a whole pie.
There's also the problem of people feeling that pets deserve a treat during the holidays too, and so they give them foods the animals wouldn't normally be allowed. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, potentially harmful foods include chocolate, coffee, alcoholic beverages, onions, garlic, raisins, macadamia nuts, salt, fatty foods, candies sweetened with xylitol, tea leaves and raw yeast dough.
Signs that a pet is suffering from "dietary indiscretion" might include a bloated belly, diarrhea and the pet may retch. "Some will lose their appetite" if there is a problem, Knight said.
The animal's veterinarian should be contacted, Knight said, if the pet hasn't eaten for a couple of days and "if they throw everything up."
If a pet owner suspects that their animal has ingested something that could seriously harm them, they could also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 for assistance.
Pets having trouble after being given or getting into chocolate is something that veterinarians expect around the "chocolate holidays" – Valentine's Day, Halloween and Christmas – Knight said.
"They come in here pretty sick," she said of pets that have eaten too much. "The more they throw up, especially in the first hour of eating, the less that is absorbed."
However, if a pet licks the bottom of a bowl if chocolate ice cream, that is not enough to hurt them, Knight said.
Decorations and gifts
Knight said that pet owners looking for a gift for their dog may want to bypass the display of rawhide bones. It depends on the dog, but a pet owner needs to monitor how their dog approaches one of these bones.
"They're supposed to be a chew toy," Knight said. However, some dogs wolf down the scarcely chewed bones almost immediately. "If a dog finishes it in a day, it is sitting like a lump in his stomach," she said. "It can cause a blockage."
For cats, a potential holiday hazard is the tinsel sometimes used to decorate Christmas trees. "Cats love to play with tinsel," Knight said. "Cats are just drawn to that. That's really dangerous … I don't use it."
Knight said that once that tinsel (or gift wrap ribbon) is swallowed, "it gets through in the intestinal track. It starts sawing through the gut," she said.
Knight also recommended being careful of the kinds of holiday plants pet owners introduce to their home, especially if their pet has a tendency to chew on plants.
Plants that are often part of the Christmas traditions — poinsettias, holly and mistletoe — are among a long list of plants that are poisonous to animals.
Be a cool cat
With guests coming and going, large dinners, unusual activity and schedules, some animals can get stressed during the holidays, Knight said. "We see behavioral problems sometimes." She said. "We see cats going out of the litter box."
Pet owners with stressed-out animals may want to consider some kinds of anti-anxiety medication – homeopathic and herbal remedies are available for pets.
Expecting pets to get along with pets brought along by guests may also be asking too much.
"Let them greet one another and then decide," Knight said. "Take your time."
If there is any unease, just keep the pets separated, she suggested.
