What's a pet to do when the house fills with the sights and
smells of the holidays and humans are looking the other way?
Probably get into trouble, and pet owners should prepare to
deal with toxic temptations.
Mistletoe, especially mistletoe berries, can be very toxic.
Fortunately, most commercially availablemistletoe substitutes
plastic berries for the real thing. Holly leaves and berries
can cause gastrointestinal irritation, vomiting and diarrhea;
however, animals rarely swallow many leaves
because the tough, pointed leaves are difficult to chew.
Greens such as balsam and pine, while not strictly toxic,
also can cause minor irritation for munching pets. The
long-time fear of poinsettia plants can be traced to reports
of a poinsettia variety that is native to Hawaii; most
poinsettia varieties that are sold at holiday time are
less toxic, Thompson said, and at worst will cause irritation
of the mouth,excess salivation and perhaps vomiting. But
some of the increasingly popular potted bulbs in the lily
family can cause kidney failure, he noted.
"Tinsel on the tree is the big one," the Cornell veterinarian said.
"Tinsel has no direct toxic effects,but it can cause gastro-
intestinal blockage that can be life-threatening." Styrofoam in
ornaments or packaging presents the same threat of gastro-
intestinal blockage. And bubble lights contain methylene
chloride, a moderately toxic solvent. "Chewing one bubble light
is unlikely to cause much of a toxic problem," Thompson said,
" but we worry more about the glass or plastic that the animal
might ingest."
Tree preservatives themselves are not particularly
toxic, the poison expert said, but sugar-based preservatives may
become hosts to bacterial growth over a period of time, and the
bacteria may sicken a thirsty pet.
There's holly and mistletoe and poinsettia to keep away from
pets, although poinsettia plants aren't as dangerous as some people
think, Thompson notes. Tree decorations, tree preservatives and
chocolate Santas can be problematic, as can all the batteries that
power the gift gadgets. Thompson offers this advice to help keep
pets healthy:
Cautions about chocolate can not be stressed enough, due to the
caffeine and theobromine it contains. Many people routinely leave
bowls of M&Ms, chocolate kisses, or other bonbons around,and the
colorful goodies are very tempting to dogs, cats, and parrots.
Dogs that chew on batteries, risk acid burns in the mouth and physical
damage from shards of metal.The smaller "button" batteries, although
they are unlikely to be punctured, can lodge in a pet's esophagus,
and may have to be surgically removed.
While small amounts of alcohol in drinks won't cause a problem for pets,
somewhat more of the depressant will. Three ounces of liquor in a 10-15
pound animal can depress its nervous system and stop its breathing.
Imagine what it could do your one- to two-pound parrot. "We recommend
that people don't change a pet's diet at holiday time," Thompson said,
"and that includes alcohol."
For pets who venture outdoors, like dogs and cats, a deadlier form of
alcohol may lurk in the driveway or garage, where automotive antifreeze
has been drained from radiators. As little as a tablespoon of ethylene
glycol antifreeze can kill a cat, and a couple of ounces can kill a
dog. The sugar-sweet taste of ethylene glycol is particularly tempting
to dogs, according to Thompson, who advises pet owners to dispose of
the material properly and see to it that neighbors do, too.
And safety-minded parents who don't want to slip on the ice may cause
minor irritation for pets if they scatter rock salt, made of calcium
chloride. Rock salt can cause irritation of animals' paws, or if
they eat the salt, in their mouths and stomachs. Pet first aid for rock
salt ingestion is simple,Thompson said. "Give them a small meal, and
maybe some water or maybe some milk, and everything should be fine."
And be careful of tracking rock salt in on the bottom of your boots.
Scrape your boots off outside, before coming into the house. And,
you might want to wash your pets' feet too.
