Absolute Yorkies

I love Christmas, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  With all the excitement, hustle and bustle of Christmas we can easily forget some common safety tips when it comes to holiday decorations and food. Judy Wright, RN of Rosehill Yorkies, our guest writer has some very important tips to keep your dog safe this Christmas.  We can never go over these tips too many times!

Holiday Plants
Beautiful holiday plants that often appear at our homes during this time of year can lead to health problems for our pets.  Plants to avoid are: holly, mistletoe, poinsettias and lilies, all of which can cause severe gastric problems. Yew, which is very toxic, can kill a pet with just one mouthful.

Snow Globes
Snow globes often contain antifreeze which is deadly to pets even in very small amounts.

Pine Needles
Pine needles when ingested can puncture holes in your pet’s intestines. Artificial trees are often made of materials that are toxic to our pets.  Flocked trees also pose a problem as the flocking material can cause gastric upset.

Styrofoam
Styrofoam can cause choking. Tinsel can cause choking as well as intestinal blockage requiring surgery to correct.

Ornaments
Keep ornaments out of reach of pets by placing them on the higher branches of your tree. Ingestion of an ornament (pets think ornaments are toys) can result in life threatening emergencies. Broken glass ornaments can injure paws, mouths and internal body parts.

Hooks
Hooks used to hang ornaments can pose life threatening choking issues as well as a punctured stomachs and intestines.

Use Flameless Candles
Lit candles are lovely but DANGEROUS!  A quick swoosh of a tail and next thing you know your dog and half your livingroom are on fire!!!  Many very pretty flameless candles are available in the stores today that even flicker like real candles.

Electrical Cords
Electrical cords and plugs are easily reached by pets and can lead to electrocution.  A chewed electrical cord can lead to fire.

Tree Water
Don’t let your dog drink the tree water.  And do not put aspirin in the water your tree sits in just in case your dog drinks the water from the tree stand.  He can easily sustain life- threatening emergencies from the aspirin laced water.

Chocolate
Holiday treats are everywhere! Chocolate is very toxic, the less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it is! As little as ¼ ounce of baking chocolate, when ingested by a 10-pound dog, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, rapid heart rate and increased urination.

Gifts
Keep pets away from the gifts and gift opening area. Ingested string, ribbon, plastic, cloth and even wrapping paper can lead to intestinal blockage requiring surgery.  I advocate surrounding your tree with a screen to keep your pets from getting near the tree.  I use two 24” tall ex-pens, opened and attached together,  to surround the tree, keeping my Yorkies from exploring the gifts and removing decorations from lower branches.

Leftover Goodies
Do not feed pets holiday leftovers.  Chicken and turkey bones can splinter and cause blockages in the dog’s throat and intestines. Greasy, spicy and fatty foods (especially turkey skin and gravy) can cause diarrhea, vomiting and stomach upset. Spoiled or mouldy foods retrieved from the garbage by pets can cause food poisoning, tremors and seizures.

Alcohol
Alcohol and pets do not mix!  Do not leave drink glasses where your pet can polish off that last little swallow.  If ingested alcohol can make your pet very sick, weak and if enough is ingested, coma and death from respiratory failure can result.  

Provide A Safe Area for Your Dog
If you plan to entertain, provide a “safe area” where your pet can be kept, away from all the excitement and open doors, that can lead to escape from your home, perhaps even unnoticed.  Make sure your dog is microchipped.

Donate to Your Local Animal Shelter
Please also remember, while your pet is in a loving caring home, our shelters are full of unwanted pets. Visit and bring treats, even a donation of dog food would be appreciated, not only by the animals housed there, but by the facility as well, as most of these organizations struggle to “put food on the table” for their “residents.”

Thanks, Judy!  These are awesome safety tips!  Don’t forget to join us this Friday for our Annual Christmas Photo Gallery and see all the cutie doggy pics we’ll be posting!  We’re accepting photos until Thursday night!  Send your photo to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com.  See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.