Toxic Christmas Decorations and Your Pets - How to Know What Can Hurt Them
Even if your pup or kitty is normally pretty good about leaving non-edible items alone, when Christmas comes and the shiny, bouncy decor abounds, the temptation to taste that bauble that smells so good could be more than any pet can ignore. Do you know what decorations are toxic and maybe even fatal to your pets? Checking out the list below (maybe even twice) may save you a trip to the animal ER and may even save your precious pet's life.
If your Christmas tree is live and your pet is thirsty, a few laps of the tree water could at least make your pet's stomach upset. Depending on what you treat the water with, the illness may become more serious. Make sure your pet's water bowl is full of fresh water and easily accessible to reduce this risk.
Ornaments are shiny and often made of glass. I don't even have to tell you the dangers of ingesting a glass ornament. If you pets bats the ornament and breaks it, check its paws for glass slivers. A cut could easily become infected. Placing the glass ornaments a little higher on the tree may keep your pets safer.
Seasonal Plants such as Poinsettia, Holly and Mistletoe are toxic to both dogs and cats. If you fear your pet has ingested these plants, call or go to your vet immediately!
Ornament hooks are easy to overlook when you are putting away the boxes of decorations. But that little metal or wire hook can cause injury if swallowed. A scratch or cut to your pets gastrointestinal tract can be costly and serious.
The best way to keep your pets safe is to keep your decorations out of reach and watch your pet a little more closely. If you are ever in doubt, call your vet or the closest vet hospital. I wish you and your kids with paws a very Merry Christmas!
Article submitted Friday, November 26, 2010 & read 283 times.
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» left by Linda DeWitt (1 year 172 days ago.)
My granddaughter read your article with me and she said now she is going to be especially careful when they start to put up the tree because she doesn't want the dogs to get hurt or sick. She said thank you for this article it was a big help.Respond to this comment
» left by Lorrie Davids(691)
Aww, Linda, that is cool! Thank you and your granddaughter for reading and commenting! Merry Christmas!
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