HOLIDAY ITEMS THAT MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR PET

 ‘Tis the Season! With the holiday spirit, comes holiday decorations—ones that may be hazardous to your pet.
 
"The water in your Christmas tree, if you add packets of preservatives in it, and your pet drinks it, it can make them sick," said Sergeant Kym Thompson of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
 
Thompson said there’s a couple items pet owners should watch out for… like tinsel, garland, and electrical cords.
 
"Cats love to play with things that,” Sergeant Thompson said. “Like ribbon and tinsel, and if they swallow those it can get into their intestines."
 
Dr. Neal Winnacott of Redwood Animal Hospital said it happens because they’re curious animals.
 
“They’re going to go in and eat some of these things,” Dr.Winnacott said. “And what can happen is they get in obstruction in their stomach or their intestinal track and that can be a real issue."
 
He says one of the most common cases this time of year is too much chocolate ingested.
 
"Some dogs have to be treated, some have to hospitalized, some will get into an amount where they don't have to be treated,” Dr.Winnacott said. “So it's real variable."
 
Another factor to keep in mind is the holiday plants.
 
"A lot of people have holly and mistletoe and poinsettias around their home during the holidays,” Sergeant Thompson said. “So there's an extra added potential for animals to ingest those."