Imagine this scenario: You arrive home, and realize your dogs have eaten several kilograms of baking chocolate, a substance highly toxic to canines.
That's just what happened to two patients of Sudbury veterinarian Chad Wilkinson last December. Because the owners didn't know which dog had eaten the chocolate, he injected both canines with a drug to induce vomiting.
Eventually, one of the dogs vomited a large pile of chocolate, while the other had just vomited “foamy bile.”
Eating concentrated chocolate such as baker's chocolate can cause seizures and ultimately death for dogs because of a toxin called theobromine. Because milk chocolate is less concentrated, it isn't nearly as deadly.
Wilkinson tells the above story to make the point that the holiday season can be hazardous to our furry friends' health.
The veterinarian with Lockerby Animal Hospital has a long list of stories about patients who have gotten into dangerous hijinks during the holidays.
Several times, he's had to do emergency surgery on cats who have swallowed long objects such as tinsel or ribbon.
“They'll start to chew on something, and then they start the swallowing reflex,” he said. “The body will continue to keep moving it through the bowel, and it just cuts through all the intestines. So it's quite an emergent surgery we have to do.”
Wilkinson has also seen a cat who had to be cut out of a Christmas-themed bandana because it got stuck on its jaw, cats with scratched corneas from climbing Christmas trees and pets with burned whiskers from candles.
Back on the topic of dogs eating things they shouldn't during the holidays, Wilkinson said he also saw a dog last Christmas that had eaten some bread dough, and nearly died when the dough expanded in his stomach.
He asks people to “use common sense” during the holiday season when it comes to their pets.
“Pet-proof your home as you would for your toddler,” said Wilkinson, the president of the Sudbury Veterinary Society. “You don't want to be having to add another expense and stressful time to your already busy, expensive, stressful time.”
Holiday pet care tips:
-Protect your pet against holiday hazards such as unsecured Christmas trees, fertilized tree water, toxic plants, dangerous decorations, toys, wires, candles, tinsel or wrapping paper.
-Discourage guests from giving your pet people food — especially chocolate and alcoholic drink — and keep your pet away from the table and tightly secure garbage lids.
-Choose gifts for your pet that are safe — like Kongs for dogs or a ball for cats — to avoid the dangers of swallowing pieces or tearing toys apart.
-Pay close attention to your pet's mood and demeanour — the holidays are a busy time and your pet may need a quiet place to retreat for a rest, drink or something to eat.
Source: Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, www.ovma.org.
