4 tips to make sure your holiday decorations don't go to the dogs... or the cats.
We have some pretty strict rules about when to start decorating at my house. For us, the tree doesn't go up until Thanksgiving has come and gone. With four cats and two dogs, decorations can be a bit of a challenge anyway; the dogs pull the throw pillows off the couch because they're clearly in the way and the decorations can't be hung on the tree anywhere lower than 3 feet off the ground or they quickly join the floor with the rest of the cat toys. While inconvenient for us humans, these decorations can pose a big threat to our fur family.
No matter which holiday you're decorating for this season, I've put together a few tips to help avoid needing emergency veterinary care during your month of festivities!
#1 - Lighting Up The Winter Nights
I'm writing this from upstate New York where the winter season mean it starts to get dark by 4:30pm. This makes it all too inviting to bring out the twinkle lights and candles. With our cold evenings, lighting up a fireplace sounds pretty inviting as well. While these items certainly provide comfort on these dim evenings, they can also pose a threat to our pets.
Each year, I receive calls about pets chewing on electrical chords. Not only can this expose wires which are a fire safety hazard, it can deliver quite the shock to our pets. These shocks are not always visible at first. Some cases will reveal burns in the mouth or on the lips, but most electrical shocks result in damage on the insides, specifically in the lungs. The electrical shock can result in a condition known as non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Let's break that name down. "Pulmonary" refers to the lungs (like most medical terms, it's derived from Latin), "edema" is a build up of fluid in the tissues. "Non-cardiogenic" just means we can't blame the heart for this one (but we can talk about cardiogenic pulmonary edema another day!).
In other words, electrical shock can cause fluid to build up in the lungs. This damage makes it hard to breath and can be fatal in cases where fluid build up is severe and/or if treatment isn't sought in an appropriate amount of time. It's important to note that it can take 72 hours for peak damage to become evident - think of it like a bruise, which usually looks worse a few days after you get it. The damage is diagnosed from a history of electrical shock exposure and x-rays of the lungs. Treatment ranges depending on severity - some pets are managed with monitoring, supplemental oxygen therapy, and IV medications to reduce fluid build up. Some pets need to be ventilated to allow their lungs to heal and recover. Prognosis for this type of damage ranges from fair to guarded to grave depending on the severity of exposure and time until treatment is started.
My best recommendation, as for most illness, is prevention. Be sure to keep pets away from electrical chords by blocking off access or purchasing protective casings to cover wires. Always monitor pets, especially puppies and kittens who are known to experience the world with their mouths, whenever they're near strings of lights or other chords. Unplug items when you can't directly supervise your animals so they aren't exposed to electricity should they find their way over to an unsupervised chord.
No string lights? No problem. We've got candles and with the delectable scents of the season available at every store, who doesn't want to brighten their home with them? Let's not forget that a lit candle requires an open flame which always poses a risk of fire. Candles can easily be knocked off a surface by an unsuspecting dog (or intentionally by a cat - I lost two perfectly good glasses this week thanks to that cat back at the beginning of this post. What joy to they find in knocking things off of tables?!). According to the National Fire Protection Association, 45% of decoration fires were started by candles in December last year. Smoke inhalation from a house fire can also cause the non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema we talked about above. Burns from any flame can be severe and require hospitalization with frequent surgeries to repair the tissue, IV fluid support, pain medication, and antibiotics. But lit candles aren't the only risks - remember how great I said some of these candles smell? Pets think so too. Every year I get calls about pets eating candles - one year, I had an owner tell me their dog ate a candle, glass jar and all! Not only can this pose the risk of obstruction and damage to the intestines, some candles and essential oils can contain materials that are toxic to your pet.
So what, we just have to live in the dark? No, of course not. Just be mindful of your decorations. Keep candles pushed away from tables edges or out of places where pets commonly go and never light them and leave them unattended. When going out, store unlit candles in a closet or drawer to keep pets from chewing on them. And if, like mine, your cat just won't stop clearing table tops for you, perhaps you might choose a battery operated candle where a flame isn't necessary.
#2 - Ornaments, Baubles, and Knickknacks
We love to decorate our homes with trinkets. Some sparkle, some play music, some jingle or jangle. These are exciting, vibrant, and certainly bring cheer. To a pet, they can also look like a lot of fun. These decorations pose a risk of gastrointestinal obstruction if ingested. With an average of 13ft of intestines in the dog and 4ft of intestines in the cat, that's a long distance for an undigestible object to move through! Some things can be helped along with fluid therapy and diet, but this doesn't always work.
Objects that don't pass through the GI tract require surgical removal. In some cases, entire sections of intestines need to be removed if damaged by the material. This surgery has a long recovery process, can come with different risks and complications, and is very costly. If you notice anything in your home is missing or your pet shows any signs of sickness including, but not limited to, vomiting, anorexia, or abdominal discomfort, I recommend contacting your veterinarian. Often an x-ray is recommended to evaluate for obvious signs of obstruction (not all materials show up on x-ray, but a gas pattern in the intestines can sometimes be seen, suggesting an obstruction is present). Your veterinarian will discuss options for management moving forward.
Again, the best way to avoid this is prevention! Keep ornaments, tinsel, and other decorative items out of reach from your pets. Work with a trainer to teach your pets to drop items so if they do steal something, you can hopefully get it back and store it away. Don't leave pets unsupervised with objects they can consume to help keep them safe this season.
#3 - Fa-la-la-la-Fauna
We all have a plant lady or plant guy in our life. Having plants in our home helps bring a lightness to the space (or if you're me, a pot of dirt that your husband has to rescue from you. I'm a vet, not a gardener. You think animals can't tell you when they don't feel good? Try asking a plant. Not for me). The holiday season comes with an array of festive fauna to decorate the home, from holly berry to mistle toe to poinsettias and many in between. While beautiful, many of these plants can make your pet ill if ingested. This can vary from mild GI upset to cases that require hospitalization and monitoring of kidney values. The ASPCA Poison Control website has a full list of toxic plants to help you if your pet has decided to snack on any of your seasonal shrubs. Once again, prevention is my favorite form of medicine (can you sense a theme here? It's subtle, I know). Keep plants out of reach of pets! If you have a persistent pet, maybe plants aren't a good option for your home.
#4 - Fit For The Gram
Those winter photos with coats, boots, and hats are absolutely precious. I'm not talking about your two legged kid, I mean your pets! Have you seen some of the adorable photos on Instagram with poodles in ponchos and schnoodles in scarves? Just sweet enough to warm your chilly heart this season. Speaking of warm, does your dog really need that stuff?
The answer is "maybe'. Most dogs with thick coats (think the Chow Chow, Husky, or Malamute) are not going to require any outerwear to keep warm because they were born with one. Many of those breeds even grow fur between their toes to protect their pads, but may still benefit from boots if walking over ice or salted roads regularly. Medium haired dogs (I'm talking about breeds like Labradors and Terriers) may require some coverage for very chilly days if they need to be outside for longer periods of time, such as while sitting out hunting (make sure it's bright so everyone else can see your dog too!). Short haired dogs or small breed dogs (Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, or tea-cup-anythings) would probably benefit from some heat support if they need to be outside.
All of this comes with a grain of salt, of course. It is important to monitor your individual pet to see if they are comfortable - if they're panting heavy and not working hard, they may be too warm. If they're curling up tight, shivering, or shifting off of their paws, they may be chilly. When it comes to dressing up for photos or other events, it is important to make sure the dog is not afraid of the outfit - many need to be trained to wear certain things. I recommend making sure your dog is not prone to eating these soft materials because, like mentioned above, GI obstructions are a big concern when eating non-food items. Jackets and booties should be confirmed to properly fit so your pet doesn't get tangled or caught while running and playing outside. Jackets and sweaters should be removed once back in a warm home or car to reduce the risks of overheating. Finally, as always, I don't recommend leaving pets unattended when wearing any materials because if they find themselves caught up or snacking on a sweater, you want to be able to catch them quickly to prevent them from harming themselves.
Enjoy The Season Safely
I love seeing my patients, but I don't want them to need to see me because they partook in the dangerous side of decorations! Be mindful of how the décor in your home effects your fur family and take steps to keep them out of harms way. That being said, if you think your pet may have misunderstood the assignment and taken it upon themselves to help with the festivities this year, reach out to your veterinarian as soon as you notice a problem so they can help you and your pet. The sooner the problem is diagnosed, the better the chances of successful treatment.
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