WHILE Christmas is a special season for many, there are dangers for the family pets that owners may not be aware of.
According to veterinarians, the Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year for emergencies, with thousands of animals injured or extremely ill.
Many of these seasonal pet emergencies can be avoided if owners have a little extra knowledge of the dangers, said Dr David Simpson, veterinary surgeon and director of the Animal Referral Hospital.
A golden retriever was once brought to the ARH with signs of a distended, painful abdomen.
The dog was allowed to roam around during a Christmas party and ate everything it could get its paws on, Dr Simpson said. We had to perform abdominal surgery to empty the dogs stomach of a massive amount of food and a variety of large objects.
It was the three beer bottle tops, a number of string balloons, several long and sharp, wooden skewer sticks with barbecued meat on them, a lollipop stick, assorted plastic and pieces of fabric that made surgery necessary.
The string nets on rolls of roast turkey or pork are also a common cause for problems, while pets also get lamb chop bones or cooked meat with bones lodged in their oesophagus.
He said it is also important to know that some foods common in the human diet are toxic to pets, including chocolate, onions, grapes and certain artificial sweeteners.
Ingestion of large fatty meals can also cause pancreatitis, a severe disease that requires urgent veterinary care.
Many Christmas ornaments and plants can also cause big problems for animals at home.
Cats, kittens and puppies love to play with the string of ornaments, bits of cotton and tinsel, and sometimes swallow the string of an ornament, causing gastrointestinal obstruction, Dr Simpson warned.
Rabbits can chew through electric cords and he suggested owners use a baby gate to fence off the Christmas tree.
Cat owners should probably avoid decorating their home with lilies and poinsettias, which can be toxic to cats, he said.
Many dogs have returned from a fishing trip having eaten prawns or bait left on the hook or pick up ticks on holidays.
Fireworks are also a big worry, with many pets running away from home, and also being injured in motor vehicle accidents.
He also stressed that the high summer temperatures are also a danger to pets.
* Details: www.arhvets.com
