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As pet owners host seasonal soirees with family, friends and neighbors, the family pet often struggles with the merriment of the holidays.
“Pets can be overwhelmed by the amount of people and the noise of a holiday get-together,” said Monica Capella, medical director of VCA Calvert Veterinary Center in Pasadena. “In addition to the noise, lots of food is accidentally dropped on the carpet or floor, which may be toxic to your pet.”
Capella advises pet owners to speak to their veterinarian prior to hosting a large gathering or changing routines during the holiday season. The veterinarian can provide tips to help with sound phobias and change of routines that the pet will experience during the holiday season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
“Routines are very important for pets,” Capella said. “Dogs especially like a structured routine, such as specific times for walks and feeding. During the holidays, it is important that they stick to those schedules, especially diets.”
Many food items offered during holiday parties are toxic to pets, including fatty foods, candies, cookies, fruit and breads, to name a few. Beware of bones in turkey and other meats, too, because bones can get caught in the pet’s esophagus, stomach or intestines.
In addition to food, many holiday plants — including poinsettias and lilies — are toxic to pets. Christmas tree pine needles don’t digest well, and pet owners should remove them from floors throughout the season.
As for ornaments on Christmas trees, pet owners should not place breakable ornaments on the lower part of the tree and should avoid using tinsel and ribbon on the lower branches. Also, use caution when placing lights on the lower branches; some pets may chew the wires of the electrical connections of the lights.
New Year’s Eve may be another stressful event for pets, especially dogs. Many neighborhoods set off fireworks, which can cause noise phobias for pets. Speak with your veterinarian and possibly have anxiety medications prescribed to help pets get through the night.
Capella advises all pet owners to keep poison control numbers on their refrigerators as well as veterinary emergency clinic numbers.
Here are the numbers:
Make sure pets have a quiet area to go to during holiday events. It should be an area away from the get-together and where the pet feels safe.
Of course, the holiday season is not just a time for careful boundaries when it comes to pets. They can join in the merriment, too.
As far as presents that will go under those Christmas trees, Capella recommends snuffle mats and puzzle feeders for pets.
“As we see our pets getting older, we want to ensure we keep them mentally stimulated and engaged, and puzzle feeders and snuffle mats can be a great way to do that,” Capella said.
One of the more popular gift ideas for dogs is “squeaky” toys. Capella suggests that the pet owner carefully monitor those toys because the “squeaker” may be ripped out and could get lodged in the pet’s throat.
Senior dogs should stay away from rawhide bones because they may damage teeth.
“Protect those teeth,” Capella said. “If you can’t bend or flex it or put a thumbnail imprint on it, it’s too hard.”
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