Holiday Dangers for Pets – Cinema Veterinary Centre

Here’s a yearly reminder about some dangers for pets around the holidays and tips to keep them safe!: Make sure that your dog or cat does not get into any human treats. Ham, gravy, stuffing and other rich holiday foods can cause gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis which is a very serious and painful condition involving inflammation of the pancreas. Chocolate of all kinds is very toxic to pets and even small amounts of it can be deadly! Keep pets away from decorations like tinsel, ribbons, lights and anything with small parts. All of these items are tempting to dogs and cats and if ingested can cause intestinal obstructions. Lights can also cause burn injuries to mouths and paws. Holiday plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, holly and lilies are all very toxic to pets if ingested so be sure to keep them out of reach. All of these plants will cause gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can also cause cardiovascular collapse and trouble breathing. Certain lilies can also cause kidney failure in cats. Pets often want to drink the water at the base of the Christmas tree. While this seems harmless enough, the tree water can be problematic if you are adding any sort of chemicals to preserve the life of the tree. Keep pets away from it! Finally, while it is not too much of a problem in Southern California, you will want to make sure that your pets are warm and safe from inclement weather. Keep cats indoors and if your dog is more of an outdoor dog, make sure he has proper shelter and blankets to keep him warm. Cinema Veterinary Centre is located at 23460 Cinema Drive, suite L in Valencia 91355, (661) 253-9300.