Posts in Category: Pet Toxins

The holiday season is upon us! With the excitement of the season can come potential hazards to your beloved dog or cat. Dangers can lurk in baked treats, festive decorations, candles, and more. Make sure to celebrate the holiday season in a way that encourages pet safety with these tips from The Bluffs Pet Clinic: 

It is impossible to watch your pet every second of the day, and sometimes our furry family members can get into food, plants, or household items that could be dangerous to their health. 

The team at The Bluffs Pet Clinic wants to help you understand more about what is considered toxic for your animals so you can master pet poison prevention in your home and avoid an unfortunate accident.

We all want to do the best when it comes to feeding our families, and that includes those with four legs. Many of our clientele have been drawn in to the grain free pet food fad, but the truth is that this trend may not be a great one. So how are you to know? Let The Bluffs Pet Clinic help you understand how to make the best diet choices for your pet.

The Potential Problem with Grain Free Pet Food

The popularity of grain free pet food has been on the rise over the last decade or so thanks to the advent of some very heavily and successfully marketed pet food brands. Grain has been deemed a filler ingredient and blamed for a number of health conditions. In reality, very few pet health problems are related to grain and from a nutritional standpoint grain can even be a valuable ingredient when properly utilized. 

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It’s hard to imagine a holiday season without at least one or two gifts for the four-legged friends in your life! Whether you completed your holiday shopping back in August or are still struggling to figure out what to buy, our ideas for holiday gifts for pets can round out your list.

Wacky Gifts For Pets

One of the best parts of gift giving is coming up with creative ideas to surprise your loved ones. The pet care industry has capitalized on this concept and the amount of interesting, unique, useful, and pawsitively pawsome pet products on the market is simply dazzling. For instance:

• The Aikiou Interactive Dog Bowl makes any mealtime fun and interesting
• You’ve never enjoyed watching your cat sharpen their claws as much as you will with the Cat Scratch Turntable
• Give your pooch a window to the world (next door) with the Pet Peek fence window!

Stocking Stuffers

You can pack a lot of health, fun, and deliciousness into a pet’s stocking while still staying within your budget. Try these pet stocking stuffers:

• Pet toothbrush and toothpaste (also available at The Bluffs Pet Clinic).
• Homemade pet treats, made right at home with love.
• Felted cat toys or other small, fuzzy toys for your beloved kitty to play with.
• A rolled leather leash or other vet-approved leash for your furry friend.

Wardrobe Upgrade

Not every pet enjoys wearing clothes, but some accessories are designed to protect your pet against our Northern Minnesota winters and look super adorable, such as:

• A fleece or waterproof coat to keep your pet warm and dry on walks and outdoor excursions.
• Dog snow booties to protect those paws from snow, ice, and chemicals.
• A cute and cozy cable knit sweater for warm snuggles just about any time.

Wellness Abounds

Has your pet been in for a wellness exam lately? Are they up-to-date on vaccines and parasite preventives? Could your little guy or gal use a good bath and nail trim with a professional groomer? Wellness gifts such as these may not seem very interesting, but there’s simply no better gift you can give your pet than the gift of good health!

Giving Back

If your pet’s toy box doesn’t have room for more stuffed animals or squeaky bones, consider giving to animals in need this holiday season instead. Consider the following ideas for making your community a better place this holiday season (and all year long):

• Donate your time, energy, supplies, or money to a local animal shelter or rescue organization
• Have your pet spayed or neutered to ensure that you don’t contribute to the homeless pet population
• Adopt or foster a new pet

What’s under the tree for your furry friend this year? We’d love to hear about it during your pet’s next appointment. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact The Bluffs Pet Clinic with any concerns you may have regarding your pet.

The holidays are all about families celebrating together. Tables overflowing with savory, decadent food, champagne glasses clinking, and abundant greenery adorning every surface and walkway. All of this sounds lovely, but when you add your pet to the mix, your sparkling holiday scene could turn into a disaster rather quickly. While there’s definitely room for concern, pet poisoning around the holidays can be prevented when you learn to recognize the common culprits.

Chocolate

From advent calendars to Hanukkah gelt, chocolate is ubiquitous during the holidays. It’s given as gifts, it’s a showpiece on the dessert buffet, and it even makes an appearance in cocktails.

Depending on the amount and type of chocolate consumed, theobromine is responsible for hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, seizures, or even heart attack in pets.

Keep all chocolate on surfaces your pet can’t reach and away from the floor. Remember, the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. Know what to look for in a pet poisoning, and call us immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested any chocolate.

Pet Poisoning and the Dining Table

It might seem relatively easy to keep chocolate out of the house, off the menu, or away from the table, but many other ingredients can pose risks. Onions, garlic, xylitol-sweetened goodies, desserts with raisins, and alcohol can all result in a pet poisoning.

Fatty or rich foods can result in a painful turn of pancreatitis, leading to emergency treatment, medical support, and lab work.

Also, rising dough may seem appetizing to your pet, but yeasted, uncooked dough can create sizable complications in the GI tract.

Plants

Garlands on banisters, over doorways, or on the mantel are par for the season, but you may want to consider artificial greenery. Pine needles from garlands, wreaths, or the holiday tree can lead to serious GI problems or get stuck in your pet’s delicate paw pads.

In addition, poinsettias, mistletoe, and holly berries can result in a pet poisoning if ingested by a curious (or hungry) pet. Keep plants off the floors and out of your pet’s reach.

Unpredictable Natures

You may have done your due diligence when it comes to the prevention of a pet poisoning, but if you’re entertaining guests, all your hard work may quickly dissipate.

Please inform any visitors of your concerns. Remind them to not feed your pet from the table, to clean up any plates or cups left out, and ask that all medications be stored safely. NSAIDs, acetaminophen, antidepressants, sleep aids, and more must always be kept out of sight and out of reach.

If you anticipate that your cat might be exposed to great risk this holiday season, please consider our feline boarding services.

Happy, Yet Safe, Holidays!

We hope your pet remains safe and sound this holiday season. If you have any questions about pet poisoning, we urge you to contact us. You can never be too prepared for a pet emergency. Remember, our team is always here to assist you.