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Most of us are looking forward to the holiday season, which is just around the corner! The time has come to pull out heirloom decorations, organize gatherings with friends and family, prepare the household for winter, and get ready for piles of thick, rich food. But while spending time with our loved ones we must remember our special family members: our dear pets. The holidays are exciting to them as well, and unfortunately they do not always know right from wrong! It is our responsibility to ensure their safety and to be aware of several potential dangers to their health.

Food of the Holidays

The most obvious concern is food. With irresistible smells wafting out of the kitchen, Fluffy and Sylvester most likely want to be part of the celebration! We must take care to prevent their access to people food and leftovers. Special times aside, the best meal for our beloved pets is their own - that is, their normal food. If Fluffy and Sylvester decide to ignore their own dinner in lieu of yours, and the pleading puppy dog or kitty cat eyes are too much for your guilt, feed the critters ahead of time. Begging habits may persist after the holidays as well, so don't encourage the habit now.

Another result of feeding people food can actually be very dangerous: pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be the result of the ingestion of high-fat foods, triggering the release of digestive enzymes into the abdominal cavity, which finally can cause serious damage and possibly death. Chronic diarrhea is also often a result of eating too much rich food. Please keep this in mind when handing down those leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, what about uneaten food, napkins, utensils, bones, and garbage? Keep those trash cans secure! Contrary to popular opinion bones are not okay for dogs (or cats) to have. Poultry bones can easily splinter, perforating or obstructing the intestines. Larger bones such as steak bones are a common cause of fractured teeth. And any trash item, especially if the scent of food lingers on it, may be greedily gulped. Be mindful of aluminum foil, plastic wraps and bags, plastic utensils, paper plates, plastic cups, and twist ties. Remember: just because we may not be able to smell food doesn't mean that Fido's sensitive nose misses it. Don't let your pet develop serious and possibly lethal gastrointestinal problems!

Specific foods to watch out for are chocolate, grapes and raisins, and bread dough. Chocolate contains a toxin called theobromine that can cause hyperexcitability, nervousness, vomiting, cardiac problems, and death. It is true that unsweetened baker's chocolate is the worst offender, but even ingestion of milk chocolate can cause these same disorders. Grapes and raisins can be hazardous by leading to kidney failure. And seemingly innocent bread dough can actually rise in the pet's stomach because the yeast has been activated by body heat! This can result in gastric dilatation (bloat).

Holiday Decorating

Christmas calls for all of the trimmings: the tree, the ornaments, the tinsel, the poinsettia laden with big bows. But consider the holiday world from a pet's point of view: lots of new, big, sparkling, smelly things to explore inside and out!

Decorations pose several potential dangers. Cats tend to see everything as a toy, from the giant cat tree (Christmas tree) to bouncy ribbons. Be sure to anchor your tree securely with a wide, flat base, and take further precautions by tying it to the wall or drapery rods with fishing line. Ornaments themselves are attractive to pets in all of the shapes, sizes, and colors. They may be broken and eaten, especially if they are glass. Cats are excellent at knocking glass balls off trees. Look out for tinsel, ribbon, and popcorn strings. Any string can get caught in the intestinal tract, requiring surgery, and in some cases, mandate the removal of part of the intestine. After all presents are unwrapped, please be certain to securely dispose of ribbon and wrappings. Angel hair (spun glass) can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and gastrointestinal tract.

Metal ornament hooks can be extremely dangerous! I once had to surgically remove a cluster of hooks from a cocker spaniel's stomach. Why he decided to eat them is still a mystery to me. To be safe, replace hooks with tightly knotted fabric, quarter-inch ribbon, lightweight twine, or yarn to slip easily over tree branches. If you have a string-chewing cat you may need to tie ornaments tightly to the branches and trim loose ends.

Bubbling electric holiday lights contain methylene chloride, the fluid that actually bubbles. Depending on how much is inhaled or ingested, it can be toxic or actually lethal.

Don't forget about Christmas tree water. It can harbor bacteria and preservatives. If you do use preservatives, make sure they are pet-friendly. Ideally use a tree stand designed to prevent pet access to the water.

Holiday plants, although pretty, are not always friendly to our pets. Ivy, holly, and mistletoe are all quite toxic when eaten. Hibiscus and poinsettia also have levels of toxicity. In general, lilies are extremely toxic to cats. Low-toxicity plants include balsam, juniper, cedar, fir, and pine, but pine needles, due to their shape, are very irritating if ingested.

Outdoor Hazards

Outside dangers are no less concerning. Watch out for the salt you apply to your driveway and sidewalks for ice and snow removal. The salt can be harmful if ingested and can irritate the foot pads. Wipe your pet's feet off with a towel after any exposure.

Winter weather can chill us to the bone, and our pets are not excluded from this! Pets will be instinctively drawn to any available heat source to maintain normal body temperature. Cats in particular like to climb up under car hoods and nestle in the heat of warm engines. When a driver unknowingly starts the engine with its stowaway passenger, the fan or fan belt causes devastating damage to the kitty. Prevent these terrible tragedies by banging on or looking under your car hood before starting up your engine.

Another wintertime danger related to automobiles is antifreeze poisoning. The toxic component in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, which has an irresistibly sweet taste to dogs and cats. Pets commonly ingest antifreeze in the spring and autumn when people are changing their radiator fluid. Unfortunately incorrect disposal of antifreeze may consist of pouring into a street drain or left to sit in an open bucket with open access. Since antifreeze is not often left in obvious view, most people do not witness ingestion and may not even know their pet has ethylene glycol poisoning until the final stage of the toxicity. By this time the unfortunate pet is usually suffering from renal failure and is extremely difficult to successfully treat. If toxicity is noticed sooner than later, the pet may still show signs of weakness, lethargy, and even staggering as if in a drunken state. Should you witness antifreeze ingestion, get your pet to your veterinarian as quickly as possible. Vomiting needs to immediately be induced, then activated charcoal given orally to help absorb any remaining toxin. Additional treatment depends on which stage of the disease the animal is in and how much antifreeze was ingested. There is a relatively new product (Sierra is the trade name) that claims to be safer than other brands of antifreeze. The active ingredient is propylene glycol, which may still cause nervous system injury and can lead to staggering and possibly seizures, but does not cause fatal kidney damage. Any antifreeze ingestion is always an emergency! Even small children are at a risk because of the sweet taste.

The holidays are a special time for friends and family. Don't forget about all of your beloved family members. Keep pets safe and secure during the holidays will bring a joyous time to all.

Dr. John Koehm is co-owner of Community Animal Hospital, a six-doctor hospital providing services in general medicine and surgery, advanced dentistry, advanced ultrasonography, endoscopy, and laser surgery. Our hospital also treats exotic species with medicine and surgery specialized to their unique needs. Dr. Koehm is a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and his professional activities are limited to dentistry and oral surgery. .

Life With Rowdy
A tale of Basenji mischief
By Debbie Bumstead Winans, Reno, NV

Be careful what you wish
for! When I was 10, I saw "Good-bye, My Lady," where a boy finds a lost basenji dog. The way Lady loved the boy endeared me to the breed, and for 40 years I've always wished to have one of the precious little barkless African dogs. One day I got my wish when a friend found a handsome red and white basenji in a shelter and adopted him for me as a gift.

I looked up basenji on the Internet and found a site with stories of "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of owning a basenji. The ugly spoke tales of ruined furniture, house walls being torn down, and neighbors calling the police after hearing blood-curdling screams (basenjis may scream when hurt or frightened, and they often suffer separation anxiety). The bad tales were just as bad and even the good were full of mischief. When Rowdy first came inside, he put his head down for me to scratch and wagged his tightly curled tail. How darling, I thought. But then ran for the kitchen trash container, knocked it over, grabbed a food wrapper, and bolted down the hall. I caught him and took away his prize, but then he saw our two cats and chased them. My poor cats disappeared and hardly came out the whole time Rowdy lived with us. Life with Rowdy was interesting. He explored all the living room furniture. He'd jump on the sofa, onto the lamp table, and head for the chest under the window. I'd say, "Don't do that Rowdy," in a warning voice, and he would get down when I picked up my trusty spray bottle (basenjis hate being sprayed with cold water).

Rowdy wasn't bothered by that for long; he trotted into the kitchen and began opening the cupboards. I had to jump up and spray him. Rowdy cringed, but then shook off the wet stuff, and came over for a pat as if asking for forgiveness -- and surreptitiously took the opportunity to steal a snack wrapper from my table!

My 84-year-old mom lives with me, and one day Rowdy wanted to get back to my mom's bathroom trash container. He felt sure that the tissues or something there would be delicious. Mom had her own spray bottle now, and squirted Rowdy as soon as he tried to get past her chair. He tried the other side of her chair. No dice, squirt, squirt. He shook his head in irritation and stopped for a moment. Then he tried again. My mom was turning in her chair with her squirter like a gunfighter. He couldn't get by! Suddenly he jumped onto the bed to get around her that way. Squirt! Squirt! Rowdy was so frustrated he grabbed a nearby stuffed toy and killed it over and over again. I let Rowdy outside to run in the yard before he went crazy with frustration.

We all began to love funny lovable Rowdy. He liked us, followed us around everywhere, and most of all, he made us laugh. And laugh. And laugh. It wasn't Rowdy's mischief that caused me to decide to find him another loving home. My cats were miserable. Rowdy had the high prey drive of most basenjis, and I knew I wouldn't be able to train him out of that.

I found BRAT, the Basenji Rescue and Transport group and arranged for his adoption. Now I knew first-hand what basenji ownership was all about. I was sorry to have failed at my life's daydream, but glad to have been a stepping stone in Rowdy's life to a better home. Soon he was happily living in a cat free home with a lady who has had basenjis all her life, which means she must have a good sense of humor and will appreciate mischievous Rowdy the clown's antics.

Debbie Bumstead Winans lives in Reno with her family of humans and pets. She is a prolific writer and has recently illustrated a children's book series. Check out her Web site at geocities.com/mdabw_ba_ma.