Hello all,
Is everyone ready for the biggest holiday of the year? However you answer, I am here to give some friendly advice on how to help protect you pets during this busy time . Most of us are aware that chocolate is not a friend to our pets. It may be your favorite confection to put in your mouth, and I am here to tell you most dogs feel the same way. The only problem is dogs don’t get that blissful post chocolate glow, instead they get anything from an upset stomach, to severe diarrhea, to tremors to death. As fun as that may sound to some of you, I promise it isn’t, and your wallet and bank account will agree.
So as far as chocolate is concerned, just be the human, be responsible and keep it away from those furry little beasts.
There are other dangers besides chocolate: What dangers you ask? Lets talk grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, poinsettias, mistletoe, and rising bread/yeast containing baked goods, and oh, don’t forget the alcohol.
Raisins and grapes: these can cause severe acute kidney failure. It is thought the skin is the culprit, so please don’t feed anything with grapes or raisins. it would be tragic to lose your pet to something so easy to prevent.
Rising bread: this can be life threatening if we give them the raw dough. The dough will get to the stomach and the heat in the stomach will cause it to expand, resulting in severe abdominal pain, bloating and possibly even rupture of the stomach or intestines.. Early on you may notice the dog is nauseas or vomiting, they can be stumbling when they walk and depressed. These signs could be related to anything but are always an indication something is seriously wrong and your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian.
Alcohol: many pets will drink alcoholic drinks left in their reach. Alcohol poisoning depends on the size of the dog or cat and how much they drink, so smaller animals are at greater risk of consuming a fatal amount. The type of alcohol is key because the percentage of ethanol can differ. The first signs you will see are staggering, excitement,or decreased reflexes: all beginning within 15-30 minutes after ingestion. especially if on an empty stomach. If the pet has eaten these signs may not show for an hour or more. As the condition worsens you will see depression, labored breathing and possibly cardiac arrest. DO NOT leave alcohol where pets can get to it, and never give it to them deliberately.
Macadamia nuts: we don’t know what about the nut causes the clinical signs, but what you may see is weakness, depression, vomiting, ataxia, tremors, muscle stiffness and changes in heart rate (becomes very slow). It is important you take your pet to the emergency room or your family veterinarian immediately.
Poinsettias are not really toxic to our pets, it has not been shown to cause any problems. So bring on the poinsettias
Mistletoe: anything from stomach troubles to liver failure to seizures all dependant on the type of mistltoe ingested. Keep this away from your pets.
I guess the moral of the story is protect your pets. They are no different than a child who explores the world through their mouth. it is just to easy to harm your pet by simply being unaware of what may harm them. So if in doubt, leave it out of your home.
happy holidays all
sincerely,
Dr. Aimee
