Help Offered for Common Holiday Hazards

During the holiday season, the National Animal Poison Control Center at the University of Illinois receives a higher volume of calls than at other times throughout the winter. Dr. Steve Hansen, DVM and Vice President of Operations, said most of the calls are for pets who have eaten poinsettia plants or chocolate. Other calls were about miseltoe, tinsel, and tree or plant preservatives.

Dr. Dennis Rohde, a veterinarian at Emergency Veterinary Services in Lisle, Illinois, said "At Christmas we commonly see dogs that eat too much turkey, get into chocolate or garbage items like bones and carcasses. A few get electrical burns from chewing on tree cords. Some dogs eat tree bulbs or glass ornaments." Dr. Rohde advised owners to decorate with caution and "Just be careful."

Dr. Hansen said, "One of the biggest problems is not paying attention and misusing products. Just heed the warnings. People are amazed that common products can be hazardous to their pets."

"Remain calm if something does happen," Dr. Hansen advised, "Calm the animal and move it away from whatever it was exposed to. There are not many poisons that a few minutes delay will hurt. Have the product in hand if possible. It's better to take five minutes and get the correct information since the wrong information can make matters worse. Then pick up the phone and call your vet, emergency clinic or our poison control service immediately. Don't delay treatment if there is a problem. "For skin exposure, you could be told to use a liquid dish detergent to scrub the substance off the dog. This is the appropriate time to use a harsh shampoo since most problematic substances are fat soluble and these soaps will remove them from the coat.

"If the dog swallows something and you know what the product is, you may be told to induce vomiting with 3% hydrogen peroxide. And sometimes we'll do nothing if the counteractant is worse. That's good news. Just reassure your pet, don't panic, then wait it out," said Dr. Hansen.

When pet owners call over the holidays Dr. Hansen said, "There's nothing that makes us happier than to say, 'No that's not a problem.'"

The National Animal Poison Control Center, a non-profit organization associated with the ASPCA, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including holidays. Fee for consultation is $30 per case. Credit card clients may call 1-888-4-ani-help (426-4335), or call 1-900-680-0000 and the amount will be charged to your phone bill. The NAPCC also has a site on the Internet, with information and safety tips, located at: http://www.napcc.aspca.org.

Pet holiday help is also available from the ASPCA's (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Companion Animal Services Behavior Help Line. They may be reached by calling 1-212-876-7700 x4357, Monday through Friday, from 1p.m. until 5p.m., EST. Or view tips on their web site at http://www.aspca.org.

Another resource for dog owners during the holiday season is the web page offered by Animal General in New York City. The address is: http://www.animalgeneral.com. Plans call for the page to have seasonal information and links to related sites.

Additional sites are posted by the VetInfo Digest, Dog Owner's Guide, American Dog Trainer's Network, American Veterinary Medicine Association and various humane societies. To locate these pages, search for "pet holiday safety."