Holiday Safety - Decorations
If your pet roams free in the home (full or part time) the attraction to beautiful holiday decor can create it's own hazards. Many exotic pets (e.g. rabbits, ferrets, and rodents) will happily chew on electrical cords, which may be more accessible with lights and trees in the home. Make sure cords are out of reach, or get some flexible plastic tubing to encase any wires. Playful pets may try to chew or swallow ornaments and decorations, which could potentially cause an intestinal blockage, so close supervision or confinement away from decorations may be necessary. Perhaps the tree could go in a room where the pet doesn't have access if the pet is determined to play with everything it sees! Tinsel (especially the icicles), ribbon, and other long string like items are irresistible to some critters as playthings (e.g. ferrets) but if ingested they can also cause serious intestinal blockages. Lights can candles may be attractive to your pet as well, so make sure they are not accessible. Even something like spray snow can prove to be mildly toxic to our pets.
Holiday Safety - Toxic Plants
When you bring plants into the home for the holidays, caution is in order. Poinsettias are not highly toxic but do have a substance in the leaves that is very irritating. This substance can cause irritation on the skin and also of the stomach and intestines, so ingestion may cause vomiting and diarrhea. To be safe, make sure your pets do not have access to poinsttias. Mistletoe is quite toxic, especially the berries, and should always be out of reach of pets (or children). Likewise, holly berries are also toxic, and the foliage of pine/fir/cedar can also cause irritation and problems if ingested. In addition, other plants brought into your home for the holidays (or year round!) may also be toxic: check the following pages to see if your houseplants are pet safe:
- Canadian Poisonous Plant Information System by Derek Munro of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Plants Toxic to Animals by Mitsuko Williams, Veterinary Medicine Librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Holiday Safety - Tasty, but Dangerous, Treats
As tempting as it may be, avoid sharing your holiday treats with your pets. Chocolate, for example, contains theobromine, which can be toxic to dogs and other animals at fairly low doses. Again, if your pets are loose in the home, make sure such items are out of reach as they will help themselves given the chance. Other sweets may not be toxic but nonetheless should not be given. Likewise, keep your pets on their regular diets. If you stray from the regular diet in order to give pets special treats or meals over the holidays, your pet will likely have a digestive upset, which may not be serious but is uncomfortable and stressful.
Stress Affects us All!
Humans aren't the only ones who get stressed over the holiday season. Our pets are likely to pick up on our moods, and in addition may find that their usual routine is disrupted. This is especially true if you have guests or even more so if you are travelling with your pet or leaving them behind. Try to minimize changes in your pet's normal routine, place it's home in a quieter part of the home if there are lots of visitors around, and bring familiar belongings or toys if travelling with your pet. If you have to leave your pet behind, I've covered some tips on finding someone to care for your exotic pets in "Finding a Pet Sitter."
And one more thing - it's not a good idea to give pets as gifts - at least during the Christmas rush. With all the excitement a new pet may have a hard time settling in, and it is more difficult to get in a routine of caring for the pet. If some one on your list really wants a pet, how about wrapping up some supplies and including a certificate or note promising a pet once the holidays are done.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!