Holiday Health Tips for Your Pet

Festive holidays call for annual rituals and traditions, with household decorations that your pet often finds worth curious investigation.

Here's a short list of potential holiday dangers to keep in mind for the safety of your pet:

• That beautiful flower the Lily can cause kidney failure if eaten by cats
• Boughs of Holly might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy
• Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal and cardiovascular (heart) problems
• Tinsel can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and belly pain
  
• Christmas lights (who would have thought?) can lead to electrical shock, especially if not properly grounded (3-prong), if the wires are chewed by your pet. Symptoms of electric shock: burns, breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness -- all of which lead to death [if your pet is electrically shocked, get him/her to the vet now - not a half-hour from now!]
  
• Christmas tree water -- repositories of chemicals (pesticides from the tree; water fresheners; etc.) -- can also be poisonous
• Chocolate and cocoa (caffeine; made for humans only) can be extremely dangerous for pets, causing vomiting, seizures, diarrhea and death
  
• Alcoholic beverages -- Please! You know what this does to a person; it's a big NO for your pet.
  

detroit dog's advice: If your pet is sick from one of the above, please get him/her to a vet immediately and/or call an animal poison control center (see the blog sidebar). Please use some "common sense" this season; keep an eye on your pet -- watch out for accidents.

For more information about pet health care, especially during the holidays, please visit the following sites (from which some of this information was garnered):

• Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
• Cat Fanciers Association
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

Happy holidays!