THE DOs & DON'Ts OF A HAPPY HOWLIDAY (PART II)

Hello, dog lovers! In this second edition of 'THE DOs & DON'Ts OF A HAPPY HOWLIDAY' we will discuss decorations and pet safety around our favorite holiday decor. If you already knew some of these, congratulations! If not, stick around and keep your decorative Santa Claus away from the dog.

Candles - Some candles contain chemicals or essential oils that can be harmful to dogs. Fortunately, most candles have a low enough concentration of these that they will not make dogs sick after eating them. However, if your dog eats a large amount, they may develop vomiting, diarrhea, or other signs of illness. Essential oils to avoid include various types of mint, various types of citrus, cinnamon, tea tree, pine, ylang-ylang, and more. These may have a variety of toxic effects on dogs if enough is ingested.

Wax candles - Wax candles are typically made from paraffin, beeswax, or soy. None of these materials tend to be poisonous to dogs and when ingested, they tend to soften and pass through the dog's intestinal tract without issue. However, large pieces my cause an intestinal blockage. Soy-based candles are softer and pose less of a risk.

Perhaps the most dangerous parts of candles are the wicks and the metal parts. Long wicks can become tangled up in the intestines, causing a linear foreign body that requires surgical treatment. Metal parts in the wick and the candle base may also become lodged in the GI tract. In addition, sharp edges can puncture or tear the lining of the GI tract, leading to an emergency situation.

Liquid Potpourris and Oils - Liquid potpourris and oils are a great way to make your home smell like Christmas. However, these items can be toxic if ingested and can cause thermal burns. Furthermore, licking these products can also cause severe chemical burns and even difficulty breathing.

Potpourri - Potpourri is made up of a number of dried plants and flowers. These fragrant decorations may cause, at the very least, vomiting and diarrhoea. How toxic your potpourri is will depend on which dried plants have been used, which is something often difficult to identify, especially as the dried plants are often artificially colored. Potpourri usually includes harder items, like pine cones or bark, and these could get stuck in your dog's throat, cause breathing difficulties or cause a blockage in their gut. Signs of an obstruction may include being sick, being tired, your dog being off their food, not pooing or finding it difficult to do so.

Lights - If you have a curious or mischievous pet or especially a new puppy or kitten at home, you always want to be careful with having electrical cords and lights laying around where they can reach them. Pets (especially puppies and kittens) that chew on electrical cords typically will receive burns to the mouth that range from mild to severe, depending on the type of cord. Pets experiencing burns to the mouth, may not want to eat or drink, causing them to become dehydrated, and may require a temporary feeding tube and hospitalization to monitor their progress. Along with receiving a shock our pets can also develop fluid on the lungs. This fluid buildup within the lungs, that results from a cause other than heart failure, is known as non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, it can lead to breathing problems, and can be fatal.

Signs your dog or cat may have experienced a shock or burns from an electrical cord:

• Acting abnormally

• Hiding

• Excessive drooling

• Refusal to eat or drink

• Random and abnormal urination or defecation near an electric cord

• Evidence of a chewed electric cord

Make sure to keep cords and lights up and away from pets’ reach!

When in the kennel, make sure there are no cords laying close enough for them to be able to reach and chew on any cords. If you have dogs or cats that like to chew on cords on the Christmas tree consider only decorating the top of the tree or using the rope style lighting so you can use a deterrent on them, such as “Bitter Apple” spray. Also see about using lower voltage LED lighting which are usually made of plastic verse the usual glass and may be less likely to break when your dog or cat tries to chew on them.

Dogs are equal-opportunity eaters. If it smells or even looks edible, they won’t hesitate to ingest it. I never cease to be amazed at the things dogs will put in their mouths and chomp down on. That includes glass ornaments and lightbulbs.

Ornaments - The real surprise is that biting down on a glass ornament is typically less dangerous for dogs than it might seem. Most often, dogs appear to realize they’ve made a mistake and don’t swallow the shards. They still run the risk of cutting their tongue or lip, of course, with the resultant bleeding. If it’s severe enough, the dog may need a trip to the veterinarian for treatment.

When dogs do swallow the pieces, your veterinarian may feel it’s safer to let the glass pass naturally instead of trying to bring it back up by inducing vomiting. I have heard of people who have induced vomiting in cases like this, but we usually don’t recommend it. The dog runs a greater risk of injury bringing back up sharp items such as glass or needles.

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies like metal Christmas tree hooks are surgical emergencies. Make sure to seek veterinary care right away if you suspect your dog has ingested a metal ornament hook. To avoid this risk, I recommend a product called SoftHooks (paper-based ornament hooks) to my clients.

If you know that your dog has swallowed something dangerous, call your veterinarian immediately for advice. If your dog isn’t showing signs of choking — gagging or pawing at the throat, for instance — your veterinarian may suggest giving bread, pumpkin or mashed potatoes to help encase the glass as it passes through the intestinal tract. Any signs such as straining to defecate, lethargy, blood in the stool, lack of appetite or abdominal pain call for an immediate trip to the veterinarian. These signs may indicate a blockage or damage to the intestinal tract that requires surgical repair.

Salt Ornaments - Salt ornaments are made by mixing equal parts flour and salt with water, forming it into a shape, decorating it (sometimes also pressing a paw or a hand into it), and baking it. Although none of the ingredients in the ornament is inherently toxic to dogs, the amount of sodium leads to salt toxicosis, explains Jo Marshall, a veterinary technician with the Pet Poison Helpline. “These homemade ornaments are very appealing to dogs for some odd reason,” she wrote. Symptoms of salt toxicosis include vomiting, diarrhea, and “drunk” walking, as well as seizures, coma, or death.

If you plan to hang salt dough ornaments from your tree, place them high where your dog cannot reach them, or better yet, avoid putting them out altogether. If your pet eats a salt dough ornament, contact your veterinarian and the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) immediately.

While not supervised, two-and-a-half-year-old Lexi sneaked downstairs in the home of Larry and Hope Pospisil and ate a salt ornament, which the couple had crafted with their young daughter. It featured a purple paw print. The Pospisils didn’t think much of the incident and left the house for a few hours.

“When we got home around 5 p.m., Lexi had peed all through her kennel and was shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't even make it back up the stairs, as she fell backwards,” Hope wrote on Facebook. By the time they arrived at the vet, Lexi had already suffered neurological damage and had to be put to sleep.

Edible Ornaments - Ornaments that smell good, and look good to you will also seem pretty tasty to your dog as well. In that case, you can expect that your pooch will try to eat them, which can be dangerous. Most of these ornaments are made from excessive sugar, particularly candy canes, which can cause sugar rush and other sugar-related health problems. Also, glue and other materials are sometimes used to make edible ornaments and they can be toxic or otherwise hazardous to your dog. Be particularly wary of salt dough ornaments since there were some cases of these ornaments leading to fatal incidents with dogs.

Imitation Snow - Imitation snow, or flocking can also be hazardous to dogs. Flocking is often sprayed on a Christmas tree in order to make it look more realistic and provide a charming natural setting. However, flocking is also toxic to dogs, and your pooch might become tempted to chew on it because tree branches might look like fun sticks to him with the imitation snow on them.

Snow Globes - A lot of people like the look of a snow globe in their home for Christmas, but you need to be careful with them if you own a dog. Since some of the snow globes, particularly imported ones, contain antifreeze, they can be very dangerous to dogs.

Popcorn Strands - Popcorn strands look really attractive to most dogs, and your pooch will probably have a hard time resisting them as well. However, there are some dangers that come with popcorn strands, particularly from the string that keeps the popcorn pieces together. If your dog somehow manages to ingest the string, which is often made of fishing line, he can have a really unpleasant experience and might even end up on the surgery table.

Tinsel - This is one of many dangerous Christmas decorations for dogs. Ingesting tinsel can make your pooch very sick, and in more extreme cases it can also become fatal. Cats are more prone to tinsel poisoning, but dogs can also come in harm’s way because of it. Some of the symptoms of tinsel poisoning are vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, dehydration and abdominal pain.

Over the Christmas period, as well as tinsel and baubles, many of us tend to decorate our homes with an abundance of festive greenery. We hang wreaths of ivy on our doors, place brightly colored poinsettia on our windowsills, dangle mistletoe in doorways and bring trees into our homes to adorn with ornaments, but did you know that some of these seasonal plants can make your dog ill?

Christmas Trees - Christmas trees are one of many holiday plants that can be toxic to pets. While trees aren't the greatest concern for pets, they are considered "mildly toxic," according to pet supply company Hartz. The oils from trees and tree needles can cause upset stomachs in animals.

The fir tree oils can cause excessive vomiting and drooling, and tree needles, if especially sharp, are bad for the inside of a pet's stomach. Beware of dogs and cats eating the needles, as they can puncture the intestinal lining.

However, an even greater concern is the tree's water. When hosting a live tree for the season, preservatives can be found within the tree's base water supply. Your pet may mistake this for a bowl, and drinking from it can cause stomach issues that may poison a pet.

"Preservatives, pesticides, fertilizers and other agents, such as aspirin, are commonly added to tree water to keep the tree fresh," Hartz explains in its tree guide.

Fake Christmas trees - Fake Christmas trees can harbor some of the same dangers as real trees. Even fake needles can be a problem for your pet's digestion, so no matter how you celebrate, try to prevent your pets from eating anything on or around the tree.

If you can't keep your pets away, try covering the tree water so it can't be accessed, and make sure your tree is in an ultra-secure base to avoid toppling over. For more tips to keep your tree out of reach from your dog, here is a chart with a few pointers:

Poinsettia - Poinsettia has a reputation for being highly toxic, but the stories of how poisonous it is are often exaggerated. Although Poinsettia is a type of euphorbia (a family of plants known to be poisonous), the effects of this particular plant are usually only mild. Its milky white sap is an irritant that can cause dogs to dribble, be sick or sometimes have diarrhea. Although these effects are usually only mild, it’s still best to keep these colorful festive plant out of paws reach.

Holly Berries - The spiky leaves of this plant will usually prevent your dog from eating a significant amount, but even if it did, it’s unusual for holly to cause any major toxic effects. All parts of the holly bush do contain a poisonous chemical, but it usually only causes irritation in the mouth, vomiting or diarrhea. The spikes from the leaves could cause some nasty scratches and pricks, so it’s best to keep this plant away from your dog.

Mistletoe - Although certain parts of this plant do contain toxins, this festive shrub is generally considered to be of low toxicity. Most animals that eat parts of mistletoe don’t show any signs, but others might develop drooling, a tummy ache, be sick or have diarrhea. A few rare cases have shown signs of being wobbly on their feet, tremors or fits. Although most dogs are usually at low risk of poisoning its best to keep mistletoe away from pets.

Ivy - This festive vine is often found amongst other plants on Christmas wreaths or may even be used in displays around the house. If eaten, Ivy can cause a tummy upset, while contact with the skin can cause severe irritation or allergic contact dermatitis.

Amaryllis - This plant is often used for Christmas decoration, and it is without a doubt on the top of the list when it comes to the most beautiful Christmas plants. But beware, it is also pretty toxic to dogs. Ingesting this plant can make your dog experience stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and even tremors.

Christmas Rose - The pretty white flowers on this plant (pictured above) will certainly cause the desire to include it in your Christmas decoration, but you should be aware that Christmas Rose can be dangerous for your pooch. It can lead to many gastrointestinal problems, and you should make sure that your dog can’t reach it at all.

Apologies for the lateness - nothing like a seasonal cold to throw off your schedule. There will be a separate post coming out within the next day or so about the best gift ideas for your favorite dog or dog lover. Here's hoping everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

Please remember, in case of emergency, always contact your local veterinarian for veterinary treatment and advice as they are the experts!

Pet Poison Helpline: 1-855-764-7661

A Girl's Best Friend Dog Training

Amy Konrad

928-577-4131