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Christmas represents the joy of giving and peace and love. Unfortunately for some, Christmas also represents emergency veterinarian visits. Do you have tinsel on your tree? Does it mysteriously disappear from around the bottom of the tree? Well it might just have been ingested by your families’ dog. Your dog could ingest the tinsel and the tinsel can get tangled up in his intestines causing an obstruction of the bowels.
Another item to watch out for is angel hair. It’s made of spun fiber-glass, which is a skin and eye irritant. It can cause tiny cuts and eye damage.
Other possibilities of dangers can come from chocolate poisoning because careless children have left their treats out, and even turkey bones taken from the garbage while you weren’t looking would have to be removed from an intestine.
Keep electrical cords away from curious puppies and kitties. One chomp is all it will take! If you have a chewer, coat wires for the Christmas tree lights in bitter apple, or another chew deterrent.
Decorate the lower branches with decorations that you don’t mind being broken, swallowed or pawed.
If you’re having guests over, try to leave a room available as a “quiet room” for the pets to escape to, especially if there are a lot of boisterous children.
Anchor your Christmas tree to the ceiling or wall behind it this will ensure your dog or your cat won’t tip it over and hurt himself or someone else.
To help keep your dog from getting into the presents, use an exercise pen around the tree.

The gift of a wonderful new puppy for Christmas

DON’T SURPRISE SOMEONE WITH A PET FOR CHRISTMAS! We all want to give the gift of Love to those we care about. Our first thought could be the gift of a puppy for our niece or nephew. Even though we have been given permission by the parent to go ahead, this isn’t the best decision for the dog. Christmas if a very busy, exciting and confusing time especially for the little puppy who has no idea what is happening. Wait for a quieter time and if need be, give the gift of a leash, collar and a book on training for them to open and let them know that the puppy will be delivered a little while later after the holidays. As breeders, we would never allow a puppy to go to a new home during this time of the year. We would rather keep the puppy with in our home rather than subject the puppy to the added stress even if it prevented an adoption. We only wanted the best for all involved.

Pointsettias, Mistletoe and Holly
Be careful where you place your holiday plants and keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
Poinsettias were once thought to be highly poisonous. The toxicity of poinsettias is actually quite low but ingesting the leaves or flowers can cause stomach upset and skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation.
Many varieties of mistletoe contain toxins that cause stomach and intestinal irritation, diarrhea, and a decrease in blood pressure and pulse. Some veterinarians recommend that vomiting be induced following ingestion of mistletoe leaves, stems, or berries.
Holly berries of some varieties are toxic. They can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and possible central nervous system depression. Keep holly out of reach and pick up fallen berries immediately. If berries are ingested, induce vomiting as soon as possible and seek medical attention.
Christmas cactus can cause upset stomach, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Eating Amaryllis bulbs can cause vomiting, collapse, and respiratory distress and can be fatal, especially in puppies and very old dogs.
If you think your dog may have eaten parts of a toxic plant, call your veterinarian. Even normally non-toxic plants can make a dog sick if they’ve recently been sprayed with chemical pesticides. Possible symptoms are excessive salivation, runny nose, watery eyes, skin rash, breathing or swallowing difficulties, vomiting or convulsions.
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On Christmas morning
Don’t leave gifts of food under a Christmas tree, before or after presents have been opened. A dog can smell things that you cannot. Whether its pet treats, a box of chocolates, or a tray of bologna and cheese, dogs know when a wrapped package contains food.
Gift bows, strings, etc. can cause choking. Don’t give your dog the opportunity to play with ribbons, tape or wrapping paper, which can cause choking and serious intestinal problems. Don’t allow kids to tie ribbons or bows around a dogs neck.
Put toys away after they are opened. Have children put new toys and games, including all the small pieces, back in their boxes. Chewing on small toys can cause choking and intestinal obstruction. (In addition to making a child very unhappy because new toys are ruined.)
Keep batteries for new Christmas toys out of a dog’s reach. Batteries contain corrosives that can cause ulceration to the mouth, tongue, and gastrointestinal tract.