While the holidays can be a great time for enjoying food and decorations, these items can be hazardous to pets. In fact, these dangerous items can be found indoors and outside. If your pet eats a toxic substance, our veterinarian at Annapolis Veterinary & Wellness in Annapolis, MD can help with treating this issue and others. Consider some of these pet toxins your pet might encounter during the holidays.
Chocolate
Plenty of people give chocolate gift boxes to loved ones or bake chocolate treats. This means you may have a chocolate gift box sitting under your tree or you or someone else could drop pieces of chocolate on the floor while cooking or eating. Despite the fact that chocolate may seem harmless, it can cause serious illness in animals. Chocolate contains substance that can be harmful. For one thing, dogs have trouble metabolizing theobromine, a substance in chocolate. If your pet ingests a toxin, contact our veterinarian in Annapolis, MD, if your pet needs help.
Alcohol
Many pets may see eggnog or other appetizing-looking drinks and want a taste, but these drinks can be dangerous. Pets that ingest alcohol can experience dangerous drops symptoms. Animals that become severely intoxicated can suffer from alcohol poisoning.
Holiday Plants
Whether you have holiday plants around the house or a guest brings them, many of these can be dangerous for pets. These plants may be pretty in appearance, but they can be harmful to your furry friend. Christmas trees, poinsettias, and mistletoe are some toxic plants for pets. These plants can cause a number of harmful symptoms in pet that may end up ruining your holiday evening. Make sure you keep your pets from eating these plants. Put them in places where your pet cannot get to them if necessary.
Christmas Decorations
A pet that ingests twine, ribbon, or string-like tinsel may experience serious complications or it may need to go through invasive, expensive surgery. Besides this, animals often like to chew on tree lights or electrical cords. This can cause electrical burns or other problems from being electrocuted. If you're fond of making homemade ornaments out of ornament dough for the holidays, these ornaments may hurt your pet if he ingests them. It can be important to hang these ornaments in high places where your pets can't reach them.
Contact Our Veterinarian in Annapolis, MD
Our veterinarian at Annapolis Veterinary & Wellness in Annapolis, MD, can help give you advice on how to avoid these dangers in the future. Contact us today. Call us at (410) 224-6624 .