The holidays are a stressful time for us all, and can bring seasonal dangers to our pets.  In this installment, we will cover the most common threats to our pets during the holiday season. 

Plants:  Many toxic plants make their way into our holiday arrangements.  Contrary to popular belief, Poinsettias are not highly toxic.  At most, they may cause mild stomach irritation.  Mistletoe, on the other hand, is highly toxic and can even be fatal if ingested.  Holly is moderately toxic and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.  Lilies are highly toxic, especially to cats.  Toxicity can cause acute kidney failure, which can be fatal.  This includes the Easter Lily, Tiger Lily, Day Lily, and Japanese Lily.  The Peace Lily, on the other hand, is not toxic because it is not actually in the Lily family.   

Chocolate:  The toxicity of chocolate is widely known.  The compound in chocolate that causes toxicity is called Theobromine.  The most dangerous form is Baker's Chocolate.  It only takes 0.10 ounces of Baker's Chocolate per pound of body weight to cause toxicity in pets!  Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperexcitability, seizures, and even coma or death.  Milk chocolate is much less dangerous than its counterpart.  The typical toxic dose is 1 ounce per pound of body weight.  Ingestion of milk chocolate generally causes diarrhea and vomiting. 

Foreign Body Ingestion:  Your pet may enjoy your tree as much as you do, so much so that they feel the need to eat the ornaments!  Cats love to chew tinsel and ribbons.  String objects are extremely dangerous for cats and can cause serious and even life threatening damage to the intestinal tract.  Holiday nuts such as walnuts can cause a blockage of the intestines in dogs that could require surgery.  Even though they love them, refrain from giving your pets bones from the holiday feast.  These can cause intestinal obstructions or even perforation of a bowel loop which can be life threatening. 

 If you suspect toxicity in your pet or foreign body ingestion, contact your regular veterinarian or an emergency clinic immediately.  You can also call animal poison control at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP.  I hope these hints help you to have a safe and festive holiday season with your pet!

Dr. Lindsey H. McCraney