Hey all! Here we are at the end of another year with the holiday season fast approaching. This is one of my favourite times of year, but unfortunately with all the lovely decorations and tasty treats at our disposal it can be a very busy season for us at Jane Animal Hospital for pets eating things they shouldn’t! A common question I receive during my appointments is what sort of holiday foods and plants are toxic to our pets. I thought it would be useful to give a brief summary of some of the most common items we see during the holidays that some of you may not realize can cause harm to your dogs and cats.
A common appointment we see here at Jane Animal Hospital involves our feline patients who just can’t resist eating a nice shiny toy (such as my cat). This time of year, tinsel and string are at the top of the list. Tinsel can be very dangerous to our feline friends. We recommend avoiding things like tinsel around the house if your cat is one to play with these sorts of items. Although they do not cause toxicity directly, string like objects can cause a lot of damage to the intestine and run the risk of causing obstructions. This is one of the most common foreign body surgeries that we see in our feline patients.
Plants to avoid if you have cats in the house during this holiday season are poinsettia, lilies, holly, and mistletoe. If ingested, the leaves and petals of these plants can cause serious harm to your cat’s kidneys and can make them very sick! Holly berries can cause gastrointestinal signs like vomiting and diarrhea.
Some common foods that I get asked about are grapes, raisins and currents. These fruits may be tasty for us in seasonal cakes or baked goods but can be quite harmful for dogs. If eaten in large quantities, they can cause renal toxicity. The most common toxicity case we see that has to do with sweets during the holidays is chocolate! Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine which at low doses causes vomiting and diarrhea. At very high doses, theobromine can cause neurological signs like seizures.
Another toxin that we encounter during the winter months is anti-freeze. Ethylene glycol is a toxic component found in anti-freeze that can cause serious harm to the kidneys when ingested, and can be fatal. Anti-freeze has a very sweet taste that can be appealing to dogs. Please make sure it is well out of reach of your canine and feline companions!
I hope this helps! If you ever have any reason to suspect that your dog or cat may have ingested something that could potentially be harmful, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. One helpful resource I refer our clients to is the pet poison website (https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/) which lists many common toxins that pets encounter. I hope that you and your furry friends are enjoying the snow and have a wonderful holiday season! If we haven’t met yet, I am looking forward to meeting you soon!
Dr. Roque
