In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas past reminds Ebenezer Scrooge of his childhood innocence and leads him to understand how he could change the future by being generous and kind. For today’s blogpost, I am calling up some of the “ghosts of AMC Christmas past” – tales of AMC patients who nearly succumbed to a tragic fate and now serve as a warning to current pet owners. These stories will help you change your holiday preparations to avoid pet mishaps and enjoy this year’s holiday season to its fullest. Hopefully, it will be a holiday season without a trip to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s 24/7 Emergency Room.
Decoration Dangers
Last year, a week before Christmas, a very cute Boston terrier was referred to AMC’s ER because it had eaten tinsel. Tinsel can be deadly when caught in the intestine, as it is razor sharp and can slice the intestinal walls. In the case of the Boston terrier, the tinsel got hung up and folded in the intestine like a pleated fan until the intestine slipped inside itself like a half inside out sock. While AMC surgeons were able to remove the tinsel and the damaged intestine, this poor girl almost spent Christmas in the hospital. Luckily, she was released just in the nick of time to see St. Nick climb down the chimney and fill her stocking with pet safe treats.
Other holiday decorations on the naughty list include:
Lighted candles
Anything with an electric cord
Glass ornaments
Packages with ribbon
Christmas tree water
Floral arrangements containing toxic plants
Houseguest Hazards
Christmas is a time of family togetherness and, in our next unfortunate story, the family spent part of their holiday together in the AMC waiting room after they noticed their dog had pooped out a Christmas tree ornament. The veterinarians in the AMC’s ER noticed this older girl had been vomiting and ordered an ultrasound, revealing an intestinal blockage. Once again, AMC surgeons arrived faster than the Grinch on Christmas Eve and surgically removed one of Grandma’s stockings, which must not have been hung with care. If you are hosting guests or traveling with your pet, remember to pet proof the guest room, keep doors strategically closed, and hide anything a pet could get into, such as medication.
Xylitol: The Holiday X-Factor
The final cautionary tale of Christmases past presented the biggest challenge to AMC’s veterinarians: a Maltese fluff ball who ate an unknown number of Icebreaker gum pieces. This particular gum contains xylitol, which is safe for people, but it can be lethal in dogs. Xylitol causes a dangerous drop in a dog’s blood sugar because a dog’s pancreas confuses xylitol for real sugar and releases large amounts of insulin. If a dog survives hypoglycemia, then the xylitol damages the liver. Fortunately, this dog escaped both hypoglycemia and liver damage.
In addition to gum, xylitol is used in sugar free candies and some food as a sweetener. It’s also in dental products, nasal sprays and oral medications. Xylitol is the reason veterinarians don’t use liquid gabapentin from human drug stores.
Other Treacherous Treats
The holidays provide pets with plenty of opportunities to be naughty and eat known hazards, such as chocolate, fatty foods and bones. Your holiday cocktails and eggnog also appeal to your dog’s sweet tooth and, next thing you know, your dog has imbibed a little too much and you need to go to the animal ER.
Keep these cautionary tales in mind as you prepare for your holiday celebrations!
All of us at AMC wish you a happy and joyous holiday season. We hope you don’t need us, but if you do, we will be here and ready for any emergency your pet has, as we have been for the past 114 holiday seasons.