VET’S CORNER Make your house pet safe for Xmas

HERE has 2018 gone!

The year is nearly over and Christmas preparations are in full swing. Now is the time for all pet owners to add house ‘pet proofing’ to their Christmas to-do lists. Ensuring that potential edible hazards and other risky items are out of reach could avoid an unnecessary trip to the vets over the festive period.

At Donaldson’s Vets clinics last year we had numerous cases of toxic ingestion over the Christmas break.

Chocolates, raisins and mistletoe are all known to be toxic for dogs and the proportion of vets who have seen dogs with poisoning continues to rise.

Chocolate treats remain top of the edible hazards with almost all of our Vets having treated a dog for this type of poisoning.

Cats are also no strangers to a veterinary appointment at our clinics over Christmas. Last winter, several of our Vets treated cats for antifreeze poisoning and we also see cases of poisoning by seasonal plants such as lilies and poinsettia. Mistletoe is also known to be poisonous to cats. Festive decorations such as tinsel and fairy lights can also be a hazard if hung within reach of a family pet.

Christmas is a time of fun and festivities for many families but presents, decorations and treats such as advent calendars can prove dangerous for pets.

It’s good to be aware of what you have wrapped up underneath the tree such as chocolate treats, as the smells can prove irresistible to curious dogs.

Decorations such as tinsel and baubles can result in the need for surgery to remove them from the gastrointestinal tract.

I would advise owners to keep presents, decorations and festive treats safely out of reach of pets. If you are concerned that they have eaten something they shouldn’t, consult your vet straight away.

As many of us rush out to buy presents, prepare to decorate and open the first windows on our advent calendars, it can be easy to forget to ensure that the house is safe for our four-legged friends. Christmas foods can cause a danger to cats and dogs. Many nuts, including almonds, walnuts, hickory nuts, macadamias, pecans and pistachios, are toxic to cats and dogs and can cause intestinal obstructions. Pictures courtesy of Pets Corner