Animal Medical Hospital’s Blog

Whether you’re headed to Gingerbread Lane at the Ballantyne Hotel, the Nutcracker at the Charlotte Ballet, or Christmas Town USA, there’s no shortage of seasonal delights. Some very well-behaved dogs may thoroughly enjoy going with their owners to holiday events, but for safety’s sake, many pets remain at home. Either way, animals are increasingly exposed to holiday-related dangers this time of year. To protect your pet this season, we’d like to offer some reliable tips for holiday pet safety.

‘Tis the Season

Most of us like to decorate to get into the season and share in the spirit of the holidays. Unfortunately, many of the items that we like present serious risks to our pets.

With Halloween over, many of us turn our thoughts to the upcoming holiday season. Who will host? What will we serve? Is it too early to start playing holiday music?

Although we can’t help with everything on your to-do list, the team at Animal Medical Hospital & 24 Hour Urgent Care is happy to provide some tips to keep your pet out of trouble this time of year. You can rest assured that our recommendations for holiday pet safety are designed with your pet’s health and wellness (and your sanity) in mind!

Wouldn’t it be great if, instead of chocolate bars, dog biscuits were given to trick-or-treaters? While this wouldn’t go over so well with the 12 and under set, it would make Halloween a lot safer for our canine friends. Until this unlikely scenario becomes a reality, however, you can still meet your goals for Halloween pet safety. How, exactly? We’re glad you asked!  

Since We Mentioned Chocolate…

To be sure, chocolate is the biggest threat to Halloween pet safety. Responsible for vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, irregular heart rhythm, and high blood pressure, chocolate must never be left out for your pet to find.

Certainly, this time of year is ripe for chocolate-tasting opportunities. Whether your pet sniffs it out in a jacket pocket, picks up a fallen candy bar on the ground, or licks the hands of a youngster, ingesting chocolate can result in a serious pet emergency.