AUSTIN, Texas — As people begin to decorate the inside and outside of their homes, experts are warning to be on the lookout for toxic décor.
Dr. Ricky Walther, DVM and chief medical officer for Pawlicy, said when it comes to holiday parties, pets tend to be around looking for food droppings. But owners need to be cautious as high-fat foods and typical holiday dishes can make pets sick.
"We really want to keep that away from our pets because they aren't meant to have that much rich food at one time. So that's a generality, but there's also other things that I like to point out, like certain peanut butters nowadays actually have xylitol, which is an artificial sweetener that can actually be very toxic and life-threatening to dogs," said Walther.
If you do use peanut butter, it's recommended to read the label and make sure that it's a safe one before giving it to your dog.
Another item that could be toxic is plants. Oftentimes around the holidays people bring in different plants and flowers. The big issue to look for is with cats and lilies.
"They can be very toxic to cats. They're not the typical flower that comes around these upcoming holidays, but they can be in different holiday bouquets and things of that nature when it comes to plants," said Walther.
Walther said pet parents can simply Google a plant and find out if it's toxic for dogs or cats. Also, Animal Poison Control has a list of plants and other common toxins with a number to call and ask for more questions.
Decoration-wise, specifically for cats, cats love to play with Christmas tree parts and tinsel. Walther said that can be really problematic for cats. They can ingest something they're not supposed to that looks more like string, and it can get stuck in their intestines and make them very ill.
"Anything that's string-like and shiny that would replicate what we often put on cat toys can be misinterpreted by them as something they can play with and or eat. For cats, either try to keep your Christmas tree or other holiday-kind of tinsel decorations away from areas your cats typically frequent, or just keep them supervised if you can when you're home," said Walther.
If you're not home, experts say having a space that doesn't have decorations for pets to spend time in can be really helpful for dogs.
Any time you see your pet has chewed up something they shouldn't have, Walther said you should assume they could have swallowed a larger chunk of that and that could cause an issue for their intestines.
"What I tell owners is that if you ever come home and find that your pet has made a mess or gotten into things, try to take a good inventory and then call your local veterinarian to tell them what possible things they could have gotten into can be really helpful," said Walther.
Walther said whether owners are looking into pet insurance or other financial solutions for their pet, if you're preparing ahead of time before these instances come up, you can have coverage in place to help with those unexpected bills.
"Around the holidays is when people are thinking about getting pets. But just keep in mind that dogs and cats are a big commitment. So we should be thinking through all of the details around their care prior to bringing them into our households. We should try calling a local veterinarian and seeing what typical bills can come up in the first couple of months – can be super helpful," said Walther.
Looking into specific financial aspects ensures families are treating their pets like family members and the pets have less risk of ending up in shelters or other areas because of the unexpected costs that can come up.