Pet owners should exercise caution with holiday decorations.

Pet owners should exercise caution with holidaydecorations.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Never mind the merry bells and mistletoe, Charles Moxley, a veterinarian at Town and Country Vet Hospital in Howland, knows the holiday season truly has arrived when dozens of doggies show up at his door suffering from tummy troubles.
"It's the same thing every year -- people feed their dog too many turkey scraps or too much ham, and then the dog gets sick. This year on the day after Thanksgiving, I treated 10 dogs for gastrointestinal irritation," Moxley said.
Jeff Williams, a veterinarian at Quality Animal Care Country Side Vet Service in Kinsman, said he knows Christmas is coming when numerous cats need his help after tangling one too many times with tree trimmings.
"Cats love shiny, moving objects, and to them, Christmas ornaments seem like toys. They especially love tinsel, which can be very dangerous if ingested," Williams said.
Both Moxley and Williams said these are only a few of the many dangers pets face during the holidays.
Dangers for pets: "We often forget that, like children, pets need to be watched carefully, especially during the holidays when there are all sorts of tempting and potentially dangerous things they can get in to," Williams said.
According to Moxley and Williams, other holiday dangers include:
EXTENSION CORDS
Puppies love to chew on them and can end up with mouth burns or even worse, they can be electrocuted.
To pull the plug on this problem, cover or tack down extension cords, and when you're not at home, make sure lights are unplugged so pets have no chance of biting into a live wire.
TASTY BUT TOXIC TREATS
Holiday plants, such as poinsettias, Jerusalem cherries, holly, ivy, mistletoe and evergreen can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.
Other items that can leave a dog or cat with an upset stomach include potpourri, onions and chocolate, which can be lethal to animals even in small doses.
Poultry bones are also dangerous since they can splinter, lodge in the throat and damage the roof of the mouth.
And strings used to truss up the turkey while it cooks taste good but can obstruct a dog or cat's bowels.
DANGEROUS DECORATIONS
Candles are dangerous for two reasons. Curious cats may knock them down and start a fire, and playful puppies may mistake them for chew toys.
Wire hooks used to hang ornaments can also become lodged in a pet's throat if the animal decides to chew on them, and glass ornaments can cut a dog's or cat's paws or mouth.
The sharp wire in artificial tree branches can be just as harmful if a dog or cat decides to taste the branch. (Remember dogs like to play fetch with branches, so why wouldn't they give it a try?) Spraying the lower branches of the tree with a product such as Bitter Apple, which tastes terrible but isn't toxic, may deter curious critters. (Many pet stores sell this product.)
Reserving precious, breakable ornaments for branches at the top of the tree is also a good way to avoid broken glass and bloody paws.
Moxley and Williams said some dogs and cats can be taught to leave the Christmas tree alone, but others never learn.
"Cats are particularly notorious for bothering the Christmas tree, but sometimes an animal can learn to leave decorations alone -- it varies from animal to animal," Moxley said. "An animal that has lived through many Christmases may be less likely to bother the tree."
Other cautions: Although older animals are less curious about decorations, they are more sensitive to holiday stress factors.
"Older dogs can be very sensitive to large crowds of people," Moxley said. "If you are having a large crowd over for a party, it's probably better to put pets in a quiet place for the evening."
Williams also said small, rambunctious children and older dogs and cats often don't mix well.
"Older dogs may snap at small children, especially if they aren't used to having children around," Williams said.
Think twice: Speaking of children, both Moxley and Williams advise against giving a dog or cat as a Christmas gift whether it is intended for a child or an adult.
"A few months after Christmas, lots of animals end up in shelters because people buy dogs and cats on impulse. It should be a carefully thought-out decision. It's a lifelong responsibility," Moxley said.