Most of the emergencies we see in cats and dogs during the holidays stems from them getting into something they are not supposed to - the trash, table scraps, toxic substances, and ingesting foreign objects like strings or ribbons.  Here we want to warn you about the dangers of the holidays and how to prevent a problem before it happens.

The pancreas sits next to the intestines and stomach and is responsible for aiding in digestion of fat.  When animals get an extremely fatty meal, sometimes the pancreas gets overloaded, secretes too much digestive enzymes, and pancreatitis results.  This is where the pancreas gets swollen and inflamed, becomes very painful, and undergoes autodigestion (essentially the enzymes that are normally used for breaking down food spill out of the cells into the pancreas, and the pancreas literally digests itself).  Symptoms of pancreatitis include:

• Vomiting or nausea (licking lips, excessive salivation, burping)
  
• Abdominal pain (hunched posture)
  
• Diarrhea, often times bloody
  
• Decreased or no appetite
• Lethargic or depressed attitude

These pets are very sick, and need immediate hospitalization and care in order to give them the best chance of recovery.  If you have a vomiting dog that is acting ill, please do not wait to get them seen. Pancreatitis can be diagnosed by a simple blood test in the clinic, and treatment includes aggressive intravenous fluids, pain medication, anti-nausea medication, antibiotics, and in severe cases blood or plasma transfusions.  Secondary problems that can happen from pancreatitis include kidney failure, abscesses in the pancreas that require surgery, liver failure, seizures, and death.  Hospitalization and treatment for pancreatitis often reaches $1000-1500, and pets can have chronic flare-ups throughout the rest of their life if they have enough damage to their pancreas. 

How do you avoid pancreatitis?  Simple - NO TABLE SCRAPS!  This is the main reason we discourage owners from giving any people food at any time, but we do see an increased incidence of pancreatitis around the holidays.  This is probably because family members disregard house rules and feed pets from the table, or pets get into the trash when no one is looking.  Preventing pancreatitis is MUCH easier than treating it when it occurs.  Below is a list of foods we have seen that commonly cause pancreatitis:

• Turkey
• Dressing
• Ham/Pork
• Hamburger
• Hot Dogs
• Cake or Icing
  
• Anything else that is high in fat

With ribbon, tinsel, string, bones, and a whole slew of other objects lying around or in the trash can during the holiday seasons, pets are at a higher risk for ingesting foreign objects.  Cats in particular are drawn to strings, hairbands, and any other linear object they can chew on.  Dogs usually eat corn cobs, bones, or pieces of toys.  The main risk with eating inappropriate objects is that the object can get stuck inside the digestive tract or puncture the intestines.  If either of these happens, your pet may have the following symptoms:

• Vomiting, usually progressing in frequency and intensity
• Decreased appetite
• Abdominal pain (hunched posture)
• Decreased fecal production
  

Even if you do not think your pet has gotten into the trash or eaten anything inappropriate, if he or she is exhibiting these signs a veterinarian should be consulted.  Bloodwork and x-rays will help pinpoint the problem.  X-rays are useful in diagnosing a foreign body.  If the object is completely obstructing the intestinal tract we should be able to identify it on x-rays.  Sometimes (as in the case of strings and other linear foreign bodies) the intestines are not completely obstructed so additional x-rays may be recommended using a contrast material to outline the possible object.  If we highly suspect a foreign body, surgery is necessary to remove it and to make sure there are no holes in the intestinal tract.  This surgery and post-operative care generally runs $1000-$1500 depending on how extensive it is.   The best advice I have is to not leave potential foreign bodies lying around the house and secure the trash can so your pet cannot have access to it! 

This is a fairly new and devastating intoxication.  Xylitol is used in a large number of sugar free products, namely gum and candy.  Animals ingesting xylitol will develop one or more of the following symptoms:

• Signs of low blood sugar (stumbling, weakness, glazed eyes, excessive drooling)
• Signs of kidney or liver failure (depression, vomiting, decreased appetite, foul odor to breath, yellow skin and gums)
• Seizures
• Coma

It takes a very small amount of xylitol to cause symptoms in dogs, and there is no antidote for the poisoning.  Treatment is aimed at flushing out the pet's system with fluid therapy and giving symptomatic treatment for low blood sugar, kidney or liver failure, or seizures.  In uncomplicated cases where low blood sugar is the only symptom, these pets usually do well after a few days of treatment.  In more severe cases where there is kidney or liver failure, or especially if it progresses to seizures or a coma-like state, the prognosis is very poor.

There are a variety of other substances (food, medication, plants) that can be very dangerous for household pets.  Below is a list of the most common intoxications we see and you should never feed your pet or allow him/her unsupervised access to any of the following:

• Chocolate
• Other highly caffeinated substances (coffee, tea)
• Raisins/grapes
• Onions
• Alcohol
• Illegal substances such as marijuana
  
• Avocado
• Macadamia nuts
• Xylitol-containing foods
  
• Tylenol (or any other OTC anti-inflammatory)
• Any medication for ADD/ADHD
• Mushrooms and toadstools (growing wild)
• Any species of lily (cats esp.)
• Other poisonous household plants - lantana, kalanchoe, oleander, sago palm, poinsettia
  
• Chemical toxins - rat and mouse baits, antifreeze, snail baits, moth balls