As the holiday season approaches, you can easily become excited about cooking, decorating, and entertaining. You may also hear about potential pet hazards. But, do you need to be worried about all of them? At American Canyon Veterinary Hospital, we’ve debunked some common pet-related holiday myths, so you can keep your pet safe this season.

#1: Sharing table scraps with your pet is harmless

Offering Fido a few licks of mashed potatoes, stuffing, or other tasty holiday dishes may not seem like a big deal. Letting him finish off the turkey carcass is okay, too, right? Wrong. What may not appear to be a large amount of food to you is often significant for our furry, much smaller, friends. Not only does this lead to excess calories, further perpetuating the already dangerous pet obesity problem, but many foods can have dangerous consequences for dogs and cats. Why shouldn’t you share your table scraps? Here are a few reasons:

  • Too rich — Many homemade dishes are laden with butter, cream, cheese, and other fatty ingredients. While these contents up the taste factor, offering them to your pet could lead to vomiting, diarrhea, or worse—potentially life-threatening pancreatitis. 
  • Too fragile — Meat bones are not safe for pets. While many pets can digest soft turkey and chicken bones, these can easily break into smaller, pointy pieces that could harm your pet’s digestive tract. Beef bones may seem like a safe, tasty chew treat for your dog, but these pose a serious choking hazard, and may increase food aggressivity if your home has multiple pets.
  • Too invisible — Many hidden ingredients are toxic for pets. Seemingly harmless onions, garlic, and grapes can actually lead to various health problems, such as anemia and kidney failure, in pets. 

#2: Baked treats are fine for pets if they are chocolate-free

It’s true that chocolate contains ingredients like caffeine and theobromine that can lead to toxic effects, such as increased heart rate, seizures, and urinary incontinence, in pets. But, plenty of other harmful ingredients also can make pets ill, including xylitol, yeast dough, macadamia nuts, raisins, and alcohol. Combining many of these can result in a recipe for disaster. Think Grandma’s fruitcake is a healthy option for your pet? Think again. 

3: Poinsettias and mistletoe are highly toxic to dogs and cats

You may come across holiday safety guidelines for pets that recommend steering clear of popular wintry plants like poinsettias and mistletoe. The sticky white sap from the poinsettia plant may cause mild skin, mouth, or stomach irritation, but ingestion is unlikely to cause more severe problems. Similarly, mistletoe gets a bad rap at this time of year, but while its European cousin can be extremely harmful to pets, exposure to, and ingestion of,  American mistletoe will likely lead only to mild stomach upset. 

#4: Decking the halls poses no threats to pets

Prepping your home for the holidays is one of the most festive activities of the year. But, while you may think decorations couldn’t possibly harm your pet, you may want to reconsider. Here are a few popular, potentially hazardous, decor choices:

  • The tree — Fir trees in the home may be dangerous to pets who attempt to drink their water, or use them as a climbing structure. Place a barrier around the tree base, so pets cannot access the water, and secure the tree to the wall if pets will be tempted to climb. 
  • The tinsel — Tinsel is a dangerous decor choice if you share your home with feline friends. This dangly, sparkly ornament can resemble a toy to curious cats, but, if ingested, can become caught in the intestinal tract, often necessitating surgery. 
  • The potpourri — Popular holiday scents in the form of liquid potpourri contain dangerous cationic detergents that can damage your pet’s skin and mouth. 

Keeping your pets safe this holiday season is easy with a little preparation and knowledge. By simply sticking to your pet’s normal diet and making knowledgeable decor choices, you can keep spirits bright, while protecting those who matter most. Do you have additional questions about holiday safety? Contact American Canyon Veterinary Hospital for more information.