PARK HILL VET
Checklist For Pet Safety
Tips For The Holidays and All Year ’Round
By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ | For the GPHN
Finally, the air is getting a little crisp and by Halloween we might have our usual first dusting of snow.
October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month and with that in mind, here’s a quick list for keeping your beloved furry family members safe now and throughout the year.
1. Holiday treats and sweets are not meant for pets. Chocolate — especially dark or baking chocolate — can be dangerous, even lethal, for cats and dogs. Xylitol, a sweetener to replace sugar in candies and baked goods, is also highly toxic. Keep all goodies out of reach of pets and seek emergency veterinary care if you observe any signs of toxicity such as vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, acute weakness or seizures.
2. For Halloween and the coming holiday season, keep pets indoors and especially keep them away from the door when there are lots of comings and goings. We don’t want any escapees or unexpected aggression from fear, anxiety and stress. Make sure all cats and dogs are microchipped and the microchip contact information is kept current so if anyone does escape, they can be reunited when found. And, especially around Halloween, keep your beloved black cats safely indoors.
3. Holiday décor and special plants/flowers can also be dangerous. Decorative displays of pumpkins, Christmas trees (as well as Easter lilies) offer a host of temptations to curious canines and felines. Make sure that they do not have access to taste or tear them apart.
4. Supervise all interactions between young children and pets. Young humans don’t have the ability to see body language cues given when pets are stressed by attention, and situations can easily escalate. Make sure pets have the ability to get away somewhere quiet when the kids are having fun.
5. When all the celebrations are done, make sure that clean-up is immediate. Bones, food scraps and trash should all be out of reach of pets to prevent tempting investigation and tasting. Watch out for package ribbons and strings.
6. Winter weather can make walks challenging when the streets and sidewalks are de-iced or not cleared. Make sure to clean paws and remove any snowballs. Use unscented baby wipes to clean off any possible chemicals. Baby wipes are great all year round to clean paws, legs and underbelly to reduce any environmental allergens that can also lead to itchy skin.
7. When the weather does get cold, remember if it is too cold for you to stay outside, then it is also too cold for your pet to be outside for long periods of time.
8. Safety inside your home is also key. Pet-proof your life by making sure that all harmful chemicals and cleaners are stored out of reach of pets. Many detergents, cleaning agents, automotive fluids, gardening products, paints and glues can cause significant issues if ingested. They can also be an irritant if inhaled or come in contact with the skin and fur.
9. Human medications are a huge source of danger for pets. All prescription and over-the-counter medications — but especially birth control, beta blockers, topical prescription cancer and dermatological ointments, ADHD medications, anti-depressants and cholesterol-lowering medications — should be stored out of reach.
Be safe out there.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit parkhillvet.com