Sydney’s Holiday Dos and Don’ts

I’m back with some holiday dos and don’ts from Liberty Veterinary Hospital. We want to make sure your pets stay healthy and safe.

Do:

• Keep decorations out of our playful reach. Many can injure us, as well as annoy you when we get into them.
• Check www.petpoisonhelpline.com for which holiday plants are toxic to your pets.
• Safely dispose of leftovers to prevent illness or obstruction. Bones can actually be dangerous to dogs.
• Even if foods are wrapped in foil or plastic, we can still smell them, so keep them out of our reach. Those tempting odors make us eager, but once swallowed, the wrappings can cause intestinal obstruction.

Don’t:

• Feed us chocolate, grapes, garlic, alcohol, or caffeine. Many common human foods can be fatal for us.
• Give your pets table scraps or share your holiday meal with us; holiday food is high in sodium and fat and can cause us to have diarrhea, vomiting or worse.
• Give us turkey skin; it is too difficult to digest.
• Feed us bones. They are brittle and can get lodged in our throats or intestines.

Moderation is good for humans and pets alike. So, be mindful of our delicate stomachs and don’t give in to our persistent begging. To read more safety tips or see what signs to look for, go to www.libertyvet.net.

Almost time to hit the road for me, so see you next week when I go over last minute holiday reminders.