Don’t Give Your Pet a Toxic Christmas

PetPanion, the App that helps pet parents maintain a sharp focus on their dog or cat’s physical and mental health and wellbeing, is urging those with canine and feline companions not to create a toxic atmosphere this Christmas, warning that vets might not be able to attend to pets that eat the wrong thing.

PetPanion App users already report that their dogs have a penchant for eating non-food items, making candles, baubles, tinsel and pot pourri dangerous things to have around pets.  Ingesting these, could lead to illness, vomiting, gut and windpipe blockages and a whole host of other pet issues.  

Snow globes imported from abroad are often filled with anti-freeze – highly toxic for a cat that manages to break the decoration and is then tempted to lick up the sweet-smelling liquid.

Leaving cigarettes and alcohol around could also cause serious health issues, with both nicotine and alcohol being toxic to pets. Himalayan salt lamps can be irresistible to pets, but cause major health problems for those addicted to licking them, with severe neurological issues resulting from salt poisoning and ingestion of sodium.

But dangers also lie in what pet owners might feed to their pets as “treats”, or what pets might sniff out for themselves and ingest.  Dark chocolate is highly toxic for dogs and cats, with even the odd few squares or pieces able to cause issues such and diarrhoea and vomiting. Larger amounts can result in a dog experiencing seizures or tremors, cardiac issues and even death.  Leaving chocolate anywhere within a dog’s reach is highly inadvisable.

Seemingly harmless food items can also cause major health implications.  Giving dogs and cats nibbles of Christmas pud and mince pies could lead to kidney failure, as grapes and all of their dried derivatives – currants, raisins and sultanas – are toxic to our canine pals.

Thinking about what makes up certain foodstuffs is also key.  Stuffing balls are likely to contain some form of onion, which is again toxic to dogs and cats and which can damage their red blood cells, cause abdominal discomfort and lethargy. Other foods containing nuts, particularly macadamia nuts, can also be very harmful to a dog’s health and do not leave any chewing gum lying around, as even small amounts can cause liver damage, should a dog ingest it.

Giving a pet a well-balanced meal, full of nutrition and vitamins and minerals, is the best present you can give it this Christmas but sneaking it a little bit of turkey meat, free from skin and bones, is acceptable, if you really must. The odd Brussel sprout won’t harm either – if you can take the whiffs that might result from your pooch’s back end!

This festive season, it may be particularly hard for vets to open their clinics and accept pets over Christmas, should a second lockdown be necessary.  It’s down to pet owners to step up, be more responsible over the festive season and take as many precautions as possible, to keep pets healthy and clinic appointments free for those pet health issues that cannot be avoided.  

PetPanion app users who do suffer an unanticipated emergency situation with their pet’s health can easily find the contact details of the clinics most local to them, wherever they may be, and can book consultations with vets signed up to the App.  If you haven’t yet armed your phone with this asset, head to the App Store or Play Store, to download PetPanion for free today. More information is at mypetpanion.com                                                    

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Editors notes

PetPanion is a new App that enables dog and cat owners to request their pet's medical history from their vet and then keep all of that at hand, via the App, in case they need treatment from another clinic, or mobile vet, at some time or other. The App also facilitates virtual vets appointments, allowing consultations to be carried out digitally, and enables vets to be paid via the App.