Furry friends love holiday decorations, to their detriment

The holidays, along with all its festive decorations, provides additional chewing opportunities for furry friends – and potential emergency visits to the veterinarian. So, as people deck the halls this holiday season, the following are ways to enjoy a safe and festive holiday with a pet.

Tinsel – Tinsel and ribbon can cause a tangled mess in the intestines if swallowed by a pet; ideally, it should not be used in households with cats.

Ornaments – Make sure to hang any small or fragile ornaments high enough on the tree to avoid the wagging tail of a dog, or a paw swipe from a cat.

Snow globes – Snow globes can contain ethylene glycol (antifreeze). If one breaks, they can cause a lot of harm, especially to a small dog, puppy or cat. If they lick up the liquid, immediately go to the closest emergency veterinary hospital.

Holiday lights – Pets are drawn to holiday lights, just like humans. The only difference is, they may be tempted to chew on them. Be sure to also keep the electrical cords taped down or out of reach.

Holiday plants and trees – Many holiday plants can cause gastrointestinal upset, if ingested by a dog or cat. These include holly, mistletoe and amaryllis. Lilies are also extremely toxic for cats; even contact with the pollen or water in the vase may be enough to cause kidney failure.

“If you do have a tree as part of your holiday celebrations, they are quite the treasure trove of mischief to cats, as they present an opportunity to climb, house many dangling ornaments which look like toys and have needles which cats love to chew,” said Dr. Caroline Wilde, veterinarian. “There isn’t much we can do to suppress those innate instincts, but we can try to maximize the safety of the tree.”

The following are some steps pet parents can take:

• Avoid tinsel in any home with cats, as they love to eat it, and it can then cause intestinal obstruction in the form of a linear foreign body.

• Vacuum shed needles frequently. Swallowed needles can potentially cause GI irritation and obstruction.

• Wrap the base of the trunk in tin foil to help deter climbing • Keep the bigger, more breakable items out of the cat’s reach, to minimize the risk of them falling and breaking into pieces.

• Avoid adding fertilizer to the water in the base, because if a cat decides to drink the water, the chemicals can be quite toxic.