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Can You Spot The Holiday Hazards?
By Laura Barmore
It’s easy for pets,
especially Labradors, to get into trouble during the holidays. You may
get so busy that you lose track of what is going on with your dog.
In addition, many gifts, decorations, and holiday foods pose dangers to
them. Be aware of the extra hazards around the holidays and pay attention
to what your Lab is doing.
From a behavior
standpoint, holidays upset the normal schedule for dogs as well as for
humans. This can mean new people coming into the household, children
visiting, and just more hustle and bustle. All of that can be very
stressful for your best buddy. Try to reduce this stress on your Lab by
making every effort to maintain his daily routine. Keep the amount and
timing of your Lab’s food, the frequency and duration of the exercise
routine and the amount of attention your Lab receives about the same
during the holidays as the rest of the year.
Set aside a quiet room or
favorite spot where your Lab
can escape from the holiday
 parties, if need
be. Invest in some toys that foster their problem solving abilities and
provide a reward. These types of toys are great for calming dogs
that suffer separation anxiety and are especially useful at Christmas-
‘when you are opening your presents, your Lab can be opening something
too.
Lab owners tend to have a
good handle on what causes their dogs’ stress, however, many may not be
aware of how deadly the temptations during the holidays are for their
loved ones. In general, treat your Lab the same way you would handle a
child. Stay alert to the seasonal hazards.
Keep your holidays safe,
healthy, and happy, and show your Lab that you CARE with the following
tips:
Consider and anticipate:
· Pick
dog-safe ornaments. One Labrador tail swipe against the Christmas tree can
cause glass ornaments to fall and shatter, leaving glass shards on the
floor that can cut your dogs’ foot pads or cause internal bleeding if
swallowed. Use loops of thread or ribbons to hang ornaments instead of
metal hooks, which don’t keep ornaments in place as securely.
· Stay away
from the urge to use bubbling lights. Bubbling lights are filled with
methlene chloride and can be mildly toxic.
· Snow
Globes are filled with ethylene glycol, also
known as antifreeze. If a snow globe is broken, your Lab may be exposed to
this deadly substance.
· Prevent
tree water from becoming an auxiliary water bowl. Pinesap from the
tree mixed with dangerous fertilizers make the water poisonous to your Lab. Stagnant tree water can also harbor
 bacteria
and cause nausea and diarrhea. Try putting a “scat mat” or a pet
barrier in front of your tree to keep your dog from nosing under the tree
to drink the water.
Vacuum
fallen pine needles around the tree frequently. If swallowed, sharp
pine needles can
puncture your Lab’s intestines.
· Display
candles on high shelves and use fireplace screens. Both can be fire
hazards if left unattended.
· Place
holiday plants out of reach. Contrary to conventional wisdom, according
to the American Veterinary Medical Association, poinsettias don’t present
a poison hazard. They do cause gastrointestinal distress though. On the
other hand, mistletoe, especially it’s
 berries, are highly toxic, while
holly berries and leaves are moderately toxic. Christmas tree
preservatives, balsam, pine, cedar, fir and snow flocking are all low
toxicity.
·
Watch your
potpourris. Some dogs will try to drink liquid potpourris, which contain
potentially harmful essential oils that can cause stomach upset, damage to
the central nervous system and chemical burns to the skin.
· Be aware of
bread dough. If a dog eats unbaked bread dough, the dough continues to
rise inside its stomach, causing severe abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting,
disorientation and depression. Many times the only remedy is surgical
removal of ingested dough.
· Know the
dangers of grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts. Some dogs are allergic to
grapes and raisins, and if they eat a large amount, can suffer kidney
failure. Macadamia nuts can cause vomiting, disorientation, stomach pain,
and muscle stiffness or weakness in dogs. These aren’t items you want to
leave out on your coffee table.
Avoid:
· Avoid the
temptation of sharing the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. The number one
problem during the holidays is that of dogs eating food they shouldn’t
eat. Poultry skin, fat trimmings, rich gravies, buttery sauces, onions
and black olives can make a dog seriously ill, and can cause a condition
called pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is where the pancreas becomes
inflamed. The effects can range from mild to severe.
· Never use
edible ornaments or decorations, such as popcorn, gumdrop garland, or
candy canes that might tempt a hungry dog. Also, commercially
manufactured food garlands may contain paint or toxic preservatives.
· Don’t put
your Lab at risk of strangulation by tying a ribbon or bow around his
neck. Bored, anxious, or merely curious dogs may choke on them. Buy him a
holiday-themed collar instead.
· Avoid using
tinsel, which can cause gastrointestinal blockage if swallowed.
· Angel hair
may seem harmless, however, it is quite deadly as it is made from spun
glass.
Remove and secure:
· Secure larger trees to a wall to prevent tipping, and use a
screen around the base to block access to electrical cords and gifts.
· Ask your
hardware store about a
Ground Protection Fault (GPF) plug for your tree lights. If a string of
lights is chewed, this can prevent electrocution by cutting off
electricity to the plug.
· Put away
toys after children open them. Small plastic and rubber parts are common
causes of choking and intestinal blockage in dogs. Wherever there is a
child’s toy, there are batteries. If ingested, the corrosives in them can
cause ulceration to the mouth, tongue and remainder of the
gastrointestinal tract.
· Protect
your Lab from himself, by making sure garbage cans are firmly closed and
out of sight. Labs are notorious for getting into garbage cans which can
contain; aluminum foil, roasting bags, skewers, bones, cellophane, candy
wrappers, and moldy food. Such hazards can cause gastrointestinal
problems including blockage and bleeding. Some kinds of mold can grow
tremorgenic mycotoxins, which can cause seizures or tremors if ingested.
· Stow
chocolate candy, baking chips and especially bakers chocolate out of
reach. Large amounts can cause abnormal heart rhythms and nervous system
malfunction, even death. Eating even small amounts can cause vomiting and
diarrhea. The culprit in chocolate- theobromine, is a compound similar to
caffeine. It can be lethal to dogs because they metabolize it slowly.
The toxicity depends on the type of chocolate and the dose of theobromine
it contains. Unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost seven times
more theobromine than milk chocolate.
· Don’t leave
alcoholic drinks unattended. An ounce of alcohol can poison a young
puppy.
Enjoy:
· First and
foremost, enjoy the holiday season with your four-legged friends. Be sure
to take lots of pictures and videos. By following these tips you’ll be
able to enjoy the holidays in the pleasant surroundings of your home
rather than in an emergency clinic.
What to Do
Keep contact information for your veterinarian, an after-hours emergency
veterinary clinic, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in a visible
place, like the refrigerator, especially during the holidays.
Call the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center if you suspect your Lab has
ingested a toxic substance. Veterinary professionals staff the center
hotline 24 hours a day. The charge is $45 consultation fee per case, to
cover its costs, no matter how many calls are made. Keep these numbers
handy:
· (900)
680-0000 (fee charged to phone bill)
· (888)
426-4435 (fee charged to credit card) or visit their Web site:
www.aspca.org/apcc
Calling your veterinarian first is almost always best since first-aid
instructions, such as inducing vomiting with hydrogen peroxide, can be
given over the phone. You should only induce vomiting when you dog has
ingested a non-caustic or non-corrosive material, such as human
medications, antifreeze or rat poison.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3% can be used safely to induce vomiting rather than
salt or Syrup of Ipecac. Use one teaspoon per 20 pounds (or approximately
1 Tablespoon for a full-grown Lab) to a maximum of 3 to 4 tablespoons.
The Hydrogen Peroxide will fizzle in the stomach and trigger upset.
If there are neurological signs, vomiting should not be induced because
your dog may aspirate or choke as they are trying to vomit. Never induce
vomiting once symptoms appear, get your dog to a vet immediately. Also,
if you suspect ingestion of something corrosive, do not induce vomiting.
Take the container with you to the vet if you can, as treatment depends on
the toxin. Milk of magnesia can absorb poison, but let your vet decide
what is best.
Veterinarians are usually familiar with over-the-counter medicines, such
as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and/or
rodenticides. Ingestion of prescription medications or known toxins
almost always requires you to call poison control. With toxins, remember
dose-per pound is critical. If you are unaware of what your Lab ate and
symptoms have begun, you don’t want to mess around with seizures. The
priority is to stabilize your dog, so don’t waste time on the phone -
get your dog to your vet!
For More Information:
Other websites with advice on avoiding winter hazards:
· The
American Veterinary Medical Association.
· The
Humane
Society of the United States.
· The Humane
Society recommends keeping a pet first-aid kit and manual readily
available. The Humane Society in conjunction with the American Red Cross
offer a 140-page first-aid book called “Pet First Aid: Cats and Dogs.”
It’s available for $12.95, plus shipping and handling. An order form can be
found on their website.
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