Christmas-Specific Poisons for Both Cats and Dogs
The following are the common Christmas-specific poisons for both cats and dogs:
Poinsettia Plants
Many believe that the poinsettia plant is deadly for pets and children, but this is actually an unlikely occurrence. The brightly colored leaves of this plant contain a sap that is irritating to the tissues of the mouth and esophagus. If ingested, the leaves will often cause nausea and vomiting. It would take a significant amount of the plant’s material to cause poisoning, and most animals and children will not eat such a large enough amount because of the irritating taste and feel from the sap.
However, if the poinsettia plant has been treated with a pesticide, your furry friend could be at risk of becoming ill from ingesting the pesticide. The size of your pet and the amount of plant material ingested will determine the severity of the poisoning. Puppies and kittens are at the highest risk. Severe reactions to poinsettia plant or the the pesticide include seizures, coma, and in some cases, death.
Holly and Mistletoe
Both holly and mistletoe are popular plants during the holiday season. These plants, along with their berries, have a greater level of toxicity that the poinsettia plant. Symptoms of illness from ingesting these holiday plants include intestinal upset, such as vomiting and diarrhea, excessive drooling and abdominal pain for your pet.
The mistletoe has multiple substances that are toxic to both dogs and cats, including toxalbumin and pharatoxic viscumin (Lectins, Phoratoxins). It is well common to cause the following symptoms:
- severe intestinal upset
- sudden and severe drop in blood pressure
- breathing problems
- hallucinations (unusual behavior)
If a significant amount of these plants is ingested, seizures and death may follow.
The Christmas Tree
There are other dangers to consider with the Christmas tree other than lights and ornaments. The oils produced by fir trees can irritate your pet’s mouth and stomach, which causes excessive vomiting or drooling. Meanwhile, the tree needles may cause gastrointestinal irritation, obstruction and puncture.
In addition, the water used to nourish Christmas trees can be noxious. Bacteria, molds and fertilizers can cause your furry friend to become extremely sick with only a few laps. The following are a few tips to consider for those planning to put a Christmas tree up in a home with pets:
Place your Christmas tree in a corner. Consider placing your Christmas tree in a corner, blocked off from your pet’s wanting eyes. You can also place aluminum foil, a plastic drink bottle filled with knick-knacks, or anything else that creates noise on the tree’s bottom limbs to warn you of an impeding tree disaster.
Hang tinsel up out of your pet’s reach. While tinsel can add a nice sparkling touch to the tree, make sure you hang it up out of your dog or cat’s reach. After ingestion, tinsel can potentially block their intestines, which is generally only remedied through surgical means.
Avoid putting lights on the tree’s lower branches. Avoid putting lights on the tree’s lower branches. This can not only get your pet tangled up in the lights, but they are also a burning hazard. In addition, your pet may inadvertently get shocked by biting through the wire.
Keep ornaments out of reach. Not only are ornaments a choking and intestinal blockage hazard, but the shards from broken ornaments may injure paws, mouths or other parts of your pet’s body.
Keep the area free and clear of pine needles. If you are buying a live Christmas tree this year, make sure to keep the area free and clear of pine needles. They may not seem dangerous, but the needles can puncture your pet’s intestines if ingested.
Other Christmas-Specific Poisons
Chocolate
Dogs and cats are more vulnerable to chocolate poisoning than humans are. These cases of chocolate poisoning are especially common during the holiday season. The harmful substance in chocolate is theobromine (a methylxanthine like caffeine). This poisoning is a type of dose-dependent poisoning which means that whether or not your pet shows signs depends on how much exposure to theobromine. There are higher amounts of theobromine in the following:
- plain/dark chocolate
- cooking chocolate
- cocoa powder
The next most dangerous is milk chocolate and white chocolate is the least hazardous. Chocolates or chocolate drops that are specially made for animals are safe because they are not made from cacao beans and do not contain theobromine.
Pets will most likely start showing signs within 24 hours of eating the chocolate but it is often much sooner than that and these signs could go for two or three days. Signs include the following:
- vomiting
- pain the in the stomach area or the abdomen
- very excitable
- wobbly when walking
- start to pant or breath quickly
In the most severe cases, your pet may start to show twitching and tremoring of the muscles as well as having fits or seizures. Some dogs will seem to want to drink more water and to pass more urine. It is important to contact your vet if this occurs and give them as much information as possible. Make sure to provide information such as how much chocolate is missing and also what type of chocolate it is.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol found in small amounts in various fruits and vegetables. However, it is also extracted commercially and used as a sweetener in low carbohydrate and diabetic products, including baked goods such as cakes and biscuits.
There has been reports of Xylitol poisoning in dogs but there have been no reports of clinical poisoning in cats. Poisoning occurs when your pet eats a product that contains xylitol. The two main uses that this can cause in dogs are hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure.
These are just a few Christmas-specific poisons for both cats and dogs. If you believe your pet may have been poisoned with one of these, contact us here at All Pets Veterinary Medical Center with the link below!
