Veterinarian, HSOY offer pet safety tips for the holidays
With the holidays upon us, a local veterinarian and the Humane Society of Yuma offered some safety and pet giving tips for the community to keep in mind.
Cheryl Haugo, veterinarian at Desert Veterinary Clinic, noted gifts such as new collars are “certainly very appropriate pet gifts for Christmas,” and can be helpful to give to pet owner friends for their animal companions.
“For cats, stuffed, catnip toys are always a favorite,” she said. “You do have to be careful what you wrap things like that in, however, because cats can smell through the wrapper. They will often invade and chew up the wrapper and then we have to worry about troubles that that would cause.”
Haugo cautioned pet owners or those giving gifts to their friends’ pets to stay away from jerky treats or special treats that the pets may not be accustomed to eating, as new foods can cause digestive issues and upset stomach.
“Jerky treats tend to be a common thing that people give their pets that wind them up here at the clinic,” she said. “We frequently see trouble with chicken jerky and little ‘Pupperoni’s’ or anything they are not accustomed to eating.”
Bones, another common gift seen advertised in stores for dogs, can also be harmful to pets, she cautioned.
“Even though they are marketed toward dogs and they are actually sometimes sterilized — for lack of a better word — those can still be quite hazardous,” she said. “Not only can they swallow them and create a foreign object, they can also cause all kinds of other problems. I don’t recommend giving bones to a dog at all — regular bones — unless you speak with your veterinarian first and make sure that it’s actually appropriate.”
Haugo also recommended Kong toys filled with healthy treats. In general, she advised pet owners to choose safe toys that do not have parts that can be swallowed or can be torn up. She added that pets should be supervised while playing with toys, especially new ones that they have not played with in the past.
Other appropriate gifts, she said, include sweaters and tags with blinking lights so that pets can be seen while walking at night.
Because many people travel for the holidays, HSOY would like to remind pet owners that pets tend to stray when owners are away on vacation or they are unfamiliar with their environment.
HSOY stresses that identification and contact information is the easiest way for a pet to find their way back home. The organization notes it is important for pet owners to remember to make sure their pets are wearing collars securely with identification and a pet license.
Since it is common for a pet’s collar to go missing when it is lost, HSOY asks pet owners to please microchip their pets and check the pet’s information to ensure it is up to date and accurate.
Additionally, a few holiday pet safety tips provided on the ASPCA website include avoiding holly, mistletoe and tinsel.
Holly and mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset as well as other health hazards to pets. Mistletoe, the ASPCA website shows, can also cause cardiovascular problems.
The organization advises to keep wires, batteries, alcohol, medications, glass or plastic ornaments out of a pet’s reach. Christmas trees should also be properly secured and anchored so that they do not tip and fall or spill tree water, which can be harmful if ingested by pets.
With treats, it is common knowledge to avoid chocolate and anything sweetened with Xylitol, but the ASPCA warns to keep pets away from the table and unattended plates of foods. Certain fatty and spicy “human foods” should be avoided.
For felines, long, stringy gifts such as yarn, ribbon and loose, little parts are risky toys for cats as they can get stuck in their intestines if ingested, which may result in necessary surgery.
A ball that’s too big to swallow or interactive cat dancers may be better, safer options, the website shows.
Lighted candles should also never be left unattended. If having a party, the ASPCA recommends giving a pet a quiet place to retreat to and to keep in mind that strings of thrown confetti can get lodged into a cat’s intestines as well.
For the New Year, noisy poppers and fireworks can scare pets, so it is advisable to secure the animals in a safe, escape-proof area as festivities take place.
HSOY offers micro-chipping for $25 during normal operating hours at the shelter. Pets can also be licensed online at hsoyuma.com. The shelter is located at 4050 S. Avenue 4 1/2 E and can be reached by calling (928) 782-1621.
Area animal control phone numbers are as follows:
• City of Yuma Animal Control: (928) 373-4795
• Yuma County Animal Control: (928) 341-8800
• Somerton Animal Control: (928) 722-7399
• San Luis Animal Control: Police Department — (928) 341-2420 • MCAS: (928) 269-6303
• Town of Wellton Animal Control: Police Department — (928) 785-4887