As the holiday season gets underway, many people are buying plants and greens and putting up ornaments, lights, and other decorations. When decorating your house or yard, keep your pets in mind! Be aware of plants and cut greens to which your dog may have access. Puppies, adolescent dogs, and bored dogs who are left alone are at greatest risk, particularly if the item is new and intriguing. Gifts placed under a Christmas tree may not smell appealing to you, but the contents may be irresistible to your dog, who has a much keener sense of smell than you. Although most decorations are not hazardous, it is important to know the ones that are, since they may seem perfectly harmless to someone unaware of their danger. In this two-part segment, I have listed some common Toxic Plants & Greens that may be hazardous if chewed or eaten. 2-Non-Toxic or Minimal Toxicity: Catnip Boxwood Boston Fern Pine Branches - Minimal (except in cattle) Spruce, Fir, Cedar branches - May cause vomiting/diarrhea from physical effects of being in GI tract. O V E R E A T I N G I N G E N E R A L The holiday "pig out" is not just confined to people. There are many instances of dogs doing the same thing, either because some owners want their dogs to have their share of holiday goodies or because the dogs have stolen some goodies of their own. However, overeating, coupled with excitement, exercise, and/or excessive water drinking, can cause a life-threatening condition (primarily, but not exclusively in large breed dogs) called "gastric dilatation and volvulus - GDV" syndrome, known more commonly as "Bloat." You should learn the symptoms, so that you can call an emergency facility IMMEDIATELY if you see the symptoms. Typical signs are (1) a distended abdomen, which, when thumped with a finger, sounds like a tight, air-filled drum; (2) intense abdominal discomfort (possibly seen initially as a very "preoccupied" look on the dog's face; (3) non-productive retching or vomiting; and (4) rapid development of severe weakness and shock. This is a rapidly life-threatening emergency. You MUST contact your veterinarian or emergency clinic IMMEDIATELY. T H E C A N D Y D I S H O N T H E C O F F E E T A B L E ! Do NOT leave candy dishes on the coffee table! Even small dogs are very creative in figuring out ways to get on a low table and decimate the candy supply. If some of this candy is chocolate, this can be a very dangerous situation. Even nuts, although not toxic, can cause a pretty severe (or at least messy) GI upset from the change in the dog's regular diet. Use common sense when leaving out dishes and trays of food. Never underestimate your dog's ability to ferret out food when given half a chance!! A L C O H O L I C B E V E R A G E S It may seem odd to include this in our list of treats, but you would be surprised to know the number of dogs who manage to drink these beverages, either because some well-meaning owner thinks it is "cute" to offer a holiday drink to their dog or because some thieving little canine has stolen a few laps from a drink left on the coffee table! Although alcohol itself is not particularly toxic to dogs (except in really excessive amounts), their tolerance to its effects is very low. Pound for pound, a dog gets "drunk" on far less alcohol than a human of the same weight. It is wise to exercise caution when consuming alcoholic beverages around pets. I wish you all a Happy and Safe Holiday Season. |
