The 12 hazards of Christmas: Part II

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on the The 12 Hazards of Christmas. The first part ran last Sunday.

In last week’s article, we covered the first half of our 12 Hazards of Christmas. Some of the dangers we talked about included Christmas trees, candles, people food, and presents left under the tree. This week, we’ll finish up with six other common hazards that pet owners encounter during the holidays.

Guests at Your House

If you have a nervous pet, inviting people over for parties can cause them a lot of stress. Remember that a frightened animal is also more likely to react aggressively if it feels cornered or threatened. All the comings and goings during a party can also lead to one of your furry friends slipping out of the house. Keep your pet in a separate room during holiday get-togethers to keep them from feeling overwhelmed or getting lost.

Pets as Gifts

Every year around the holidays, people start asking about adopting pets as gifts for other people, and they’re always surprised to discover we do not allow pets to be adopted as gifts. Adopting an animal is a very personal decision – only you know what animal will be the right match for your lifestyle. Surprise pets often result in the animal being brought to the shelter because the recipient couldn’t care for it or didn’t have enough time or money for a pet. If you want to give a friend or family member a pet, take them to the animal shelter and offer to pay the adoption fee for the furry friend of their choosing.

Toxic Plants

We talked about the danger of your pet ingesting the needles of your Christmas tree during Part One, but there are other toxic plants to be found in many homes during the holidays. Mistletoe, holly, poinsettias, and plant bulbs (a common gift during the holidays) for flowers in the lily or daffodil families are all toxic if ingested by pets. If your pet is suffering from diarrhea or vomiting, drooling, or having seizures, get them medical attention right away. 

Wrapping Paper and Ribbon

In Part One, I shared a story about the Christmas when my dogs got into some chocolates that were wrapped up under the tree. While the chocolate did make them ill, the wrapping paper was also to blame. Fortunately, my dogs ended up being fine, but other pets might not be so lucky. Ribbon and wrapping paper can both be choking hazards and, if ribbon gets tangled in your pet’s intestines, it can lead to emergency surgery or even death.  Be sure to discard paper and ribbons immediately after opening presents to prevent your pet from snatching something up.

Little Pieces from Toys

If you have children at your house during the holidays, you are probably familiar with the hassle involved in removing a toy from its packaging (does it really take 1,000 twist ties to hold a toy in place?). While little pieces from toys or packaging are a choking risk to children, they are also hazardous to pets.  If your children like to tear into their toys as soon as they unwrap them, make sure they’re throwing away the packaging instead of tossing it aside for your pets to find later. Did the toy come with a lot of little pieces? Have your children keep their toys somewhere safe where your pets can’t get into them. Nobody wants to spend Christmas at the emergency vet because Fido ate a bunch of Legos!

Chocolate

It cannot be stressed enough – never feed your pet chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for pets and less your pet has to ingest for it to be fatal. Whether it’s dark chocolate or white chocolate, any amount of it is enough to make your pet sick. A small amount of chocolate will cause your pet to vomit or have diarrhea while a lot of it can lead to seizures, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest.  If your pet has ingested chocolate and showing these symptoms, get them medical attention right away.

Christmas doesn’t have to be a headache with pets! Be aware of these common hazards and have a safe and happy holiday season with your pets!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cat, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org