The Holiday season is upon us and so is the hustle and bustle of this busy time of year. As visitors come and go, keep an eye on your pet to ensure they don’t escape through an unintentionally open door. In fact, now would be a good time to get a microchip if your pet doesn’t have one, confirm your info or update information if it has changed. We would be happy to help so give us a call or make an appointment here.
Tinsel can be a beautiful part of your decorations, but it can also be dangerous to your pets. Both cats and dogs (especially the younger ones) can be curious about the shiny stuff and try to play with it. If they inadvertently swallow the tinsel, it can get stuck in their intestinal tract. Best case scenario, shiny poop! But worst case, it can get stuck on the way and make your pet really sick or may even require surgery to remove. Also, keep ornaments out of reach. Broken ornaments can pose a real danger to little paws. Some might even look like a yummy treat and that causes stomach upset or worse.
New Year’s Eve fireworks can be a noisy and scary time for your pets. Consider placing them in an interior room so the disturbance is minimal. Make sure they get plenty of exercise, or you might even consider a Thundershirt if you know loud noises can be really upsetting to your pet. Keep a close eye on them for signs of stress and anxiety. Cats might urinate outside of litter box, isolate themselves, or show aggression towards other pets or people if they are upset. Some ways dogs show stress is vocalizing (barking, howling, whining), being destructive or behavior changes (lethargy, increased tendency to sleep). These are just some signs of examples of stress or anxiety so please contact us if you are concerned, have questions, or need medication for your pet during the holidays.
Please enjoy this very special time with family, friends and your furry loved ones. All of our best for a happy and healthy 2020 from all of us at Goodheart Animal Health Center.