Tips to keep your pets safe during the holidays

Contact for reporters:
Allison Sylte
Cell: 720-849-1907
[email protected]

Dr. Amanda Cavanagh, an assistant professor of small animal emergency and critical care and head of Colorado State University’s Emergency and Urgent Care Service, has seen just about everything come through the front doors of CSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

In the summer, when Coloradans are outside with their pets, the hospital handles more trauma cases — animals suffering from bite wounds or that have been hit by vehicles. In the winter, the cases tend to shift; pets are spending more time inside, and animals are more often running into problems indoors.

December can be a particularly dangerous time for pets. “During winter, dogs can get bored inside, and around the holidays there are new things coming into the house that can prompt naughty behavior,” Cavanagh said. “It’s good for pet owners to be extra vigilant this time of year.”

Here, Cavanagh highlights some of the top problem areas pet owners should be aware of during the holidays, and tips for how to mitigate any danger to their furry friends.

Loose cords

New cords tend to show up during the holidays. Think: Dangling Christmas lights plugged into an outlet around the corner from the holiday tree. The novelty of these cords can entice dogs and cats to chew on them, Cavanagh said, and a resulting electrocution injury can be catastrophic.

“Some of the cords can cause their jaws to clamp down so the animal physically cannot let go,” Cavanagh said. “It can actually be fatal for smaller puppies or kittens.” People with rabbits or ferrets loose in the house should also keep an eye on this potential problem, Cavanagh said.

Cavanagh recommends taping any loose cords onto the floor or running them under carpets. “That can be a big deterrent for an animal,” she said.

Candy in wrapping paper

During the holidays, people will often package candy in holiday wrapping paper and put it under the tree. This is dangerous for pets — both the candy and the wrapping paper. Most candy is not great, but Cavanagh suggests keeping an eye out for anything with chocolate or raisins. Chocolate is particularly poisonous, and raisins can cause kidney injuries. The wrappers are problematic, too; wrappers can block an animal’s intestines and lead to a surgical emergency.

“This is one of the most common problems we see,” Cavanagh said. “But also, it tends to be the least deadly if we can make the pet vomit and remove the ingested candy.”

Cavanagh also recommends keeping an eye on cats with any loose tinsel or ribbons in the house. Cats will eat both, which can cause intestinal obstructions that may require an emergency room visit and abdominal surgery.

Faulty automatic food and water dispensers

People who have cats will often travel and leave their pet at home alone with an automatic food and water dispenser. That plan is not foolproof. “Cats can get trapped in a closet or the water bowl can get knocked over,” Cavanagh said. “We’ve had some really sick pets that went without water and had high sodium levels that required a lengthy hospital stay.”

If you’re going to leave your cat alone for an extended period, Cavanagh suggests having someone check on them every 24 hours to make sure they are not trapped or without water.

Intermingling pets

When visitors show up for an extended holiday stay and bring along a pup or two, it’s not a given that those animals are going to happily mingle with dogs that are already living in the house. “Be very cautious introducing new dogs to each other,” Cavanagh said. “People are surprised that not all dogs will just get along together in a house!”

Cavanagh suggests keeping dogs leashed so that an adult can easily stay in control of any situation, and also making sure little kids don’t get caught in any dog scuffles, accidentally getting bit.

House fires

If you’re headed out of town for an extended period for the holidays and leaving a pet at home, make sure a neighbor knows there’s an animal in the house. On the off chance there’s a fire, Cavanagh said, fire departments will likely go to great lengths to save an animal if they know there’s one inside. You can also put a sign on the front door — “Two cats live here!” — so emergency responders will know to look for an animal.

“We have recently managed some house fire injuries,” Cavanagh said. “If they know they are in there, fire departments will put a ton of effort into getting animals out of a house and getting them to us for care.”

Another fire preparedness tip Cavanagh recommends to homeowners for when they are in town is to make sure any animal carriers are easily accessible — instead of buried in a corner in the basement — in the event a quick evacuation is needed. “Have the carriers in a place you can reach and load up your pets on short notice,” Cavanagh said.

Table scraps

Feeding dogs and cats pieces of ham or turkey, or any other table scraps, is a bad idea, Cavanagh said. Eating those foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea or pancreatitis. Cavanagh recommends keeping a dog’s feeding schedule consistent during the holidays — and making sure visitors know not to feed a dog from the table.

“My vote is just don’t do it,” Cavanagh said. “Especially during the holidays when everything is buttery and oily and salty and there’s gravy.”

Toxic plants

A lot of holiday plants, such as poinsettias and mistletoe, are toxic but likely not fatal to dogs and cats, Cavanagh said. A pet eating these plants may experience drooling, mouth irritation and upset stomachs. With cats, lilies are the bigger problem, Cavanagh said. They can cause kidney failure. “If you’re a cat owner, make sure any holiday bouquets don’t include lilies,” Cavanagh said. “They are so toxic.”

One other toxic item to keep in mind, Cavanagh said, is that Teflon cookware can release gases that are toxic, and fatal to birds. “If you have someone who is bringing a bird over for the holidays,” Cavanagh said, “be very cautious with Teflon cookware.”

About CSU’s Veterinary Health System

Colorado State University’s Veterinary Health System is a community of veterinary professionals dedicated to providing exceptional service with passion and purpose. Its experts are animal and public health leaders working together to apply their diverse skills in veterinary care, diagnostics and education. As a partner of CSU’s top-ranked academic veterinary program, the clinical team works with researchers and educators to advance the future of veterinary medicine.