pet safety tips to ensure a happy holiday season
Dakin Humane Society offers a few tips to help ensure your pet’s safety this holiday season. Some simple precautions may help maintain the merriment of the season for you and your pet.
Table Foods, Moldy Foods and Poultry Bones: Pets should not be given holiday leftovers. Poultry bones can splinter and cause damage or blockage in the gastrointestinal tract. Moldy or spoiled foods could produce food poisoning, tremors or seizures.
No Chocolate: All forms of chocolate can cause vomiting, increased thirst and urination, diarrhea, hyperactivity, elevated heart rate and seizures. This can be lethal in large doses due to the caffeine and high fat levels in the product.
Grapes and Raisins: Ingestion of grapes and raisins has been associated with acute kidney failure in dogs. Watch for vomiting, excessive drinking and diarrhea as warning signs.
Alcoholic Beverages: Never leave alcoholic drinks where pets can reach them.
Ingested alcohol can potentially result in vomiting, diarrhea, lack of
coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors,
acidosis, coma and even death.
Ornaments, Ribbons and Tinsel: Ribbon and
tinsel can cause a gastrointestinal blockage that can be life threatening to
pets. Ornaments can be broken or swallowed whole.
Holiday Plants: Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia can be very harmful to your pet. Eating any of these may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy, gastrointestinal upset and even cardiovascular problems. All of these plants should be kept out of reach.
Thinking of adding a new animal friend to the family this holiday season? Please consider adopting.
There’s someone waiting for you at Dakin Humane Society Adoption Centers in Springfield and Leverett.
