New pets, old pals require holiday precautions

STATEWIDE — December should be filled with fun, frivolity and family. But for pets, the food, decorations, parties and travel that accompany this time of year can add up to unhappy holidays if not properly addressed in advance by their owners.

The Division of Professions and Occupations, which licenses veterinarians in Colorado under the auspices of the Department of Regulatory Agencies, wants pets to remain safe during this hectic season.

Having your veterinary clinic’s contact number handy, and if different, 24/7 emergency facility information available is a good initial step.

And, if you’re adopting or receiving a pet as a gift and need to locate a licensed veterinarian in your area, you can verify a Colorado professional license and check for any disciplinary actions as part of the selection process by visiting http://colorado.gov/DORA/licensing.

But once Fido or Tabby already is part of the family, it’s important to get a handle on what can harm them.

Here are a few safety tips, courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

• Food: Some of the people-food that can be harmful to pets include chocolate, baked goods or other sweets containing the artificial sweetener xylitol, turkey and turkey skin, table scraps (such as onions, raisins and grapes), and yeast dough. Clear food from the table and serving areas and place the trash bin where pets can’t access it. The ASPCA has a Poison Control Hotline in place if you believe your pet has ingested something it shouldn’t and is in distress (sudden behavior change, depression, pain, vomiting, or diarrhea).

• Decorations: Unsecured Christmas trees, water additives for Christmas trees, ornaments, tinsel, electric lights, flowers and festive plants, candies, and potpourris all can have associated risks.

• Parties:  Ensure your pets have a place away from the commotion. Be mindful of the risks associated with guests bringing other pets into your home if there is a question on how they’ll co-exist. Nervous pets should be cordoned off in another room or crate with a favorite toy. And while the guest traffic comes and goes, make sure the door doesn’t become an escape route.

• Travel: Interstate and international regulations require any pets you bring with you to have a health certificate from your veterinarian, even if you are traveling by car. Make sure pets in vehicles are properly restrained and, when traveling by air, speak to your veterinarian about the risks and precautions that should be employed. If boarding your dog while traveling, make sure to discuss with your vet how to protect your pet from contagious disease and whether updates to the pet’s vaccines are necessary.

For additional information on this topic, please visit https://www.avma.org.