Healthy Pets Go Green!
Friends, family and feasts—the main ingredients for holiday fun can actually result in distress for pets. Not only can too many table scraps set furry tummies a-rumble, but many animals get anxious at the change in household routine. Says the ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, Animal Health Services, which includes the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, IL, “As you begin to prepare for a festive season, remember to be wary of activities that can be potentially dangerous to pets.”
The following safety tips will help to ensure a safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving for you and your pets:
Talkin’ Turkey: Giving your pets a little nibble of turkey is okay, just be sure that it’s boneless and fully cooked. Raw or undercooked turkey may contain salmonella bacteria, and dogs can choke on bones, which splinter easily.
A Feast Fit for a Kong: While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Stuff their usual dinner—with a few added bits of turkey, dribbles of gravy or vegetables like sweet potato and green beans—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied trying to get their meal out, and way too busy to come begging for table scraps.
Sage Advice: This peppery herb makes stuffing taste delish, but sage also contains essential oils and resins that can cause pets to suffer stomach upset and possible depression of the central nervous system.
Battery Power: The holiday season means lots of cameras, radios and other battery-operated electronics. Please don’t leave batteries lying around. If swallowed, they can cause choking or obstruction; if punctured, the chemicals in alkaline batteries can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.
If you suspect your pet has ingested a harmful substance, on Thanksgiving or at any time, please call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Talkin’ Turkey: ASPCA Experts
Offer Thanksgiving Safety Tips
For years, Rescue Remedy has been recommended by veterinarians worldwide as an emergency remedy to help calm pets in all kinds of stressful situations.
Rescue Remedy can be used for an immediate calming effect in any stressful situation, or when your pet needs help overcoming a variety of emotional or behavioral problems, such as:
• Visits to the vet
• Fear of loud noises (fireworks, thunderstorms, etc)
• Excessive barking or hissing
• Shock, trauma or mistreatment
• Adapting to loss of companion
• Separation anxiety
• Adapting to new surroundings (home, kennel, stable, etc.)
• Obsessive cleanliness or overgrooming
• Constant licking or nibbling of skin, paws, etc.
The most useful Bach Flower Essence of all, Rescue Remedy is actually a combination of five other remedies, that act synergistically to calm stress and fear. This is wonderful any time there is shock, stress or trauma. It is an invaluable addition to the first aid kit that any pet owner would find useful. It can be safely used before visiting the vet office or after any kind of injury. It will often revive animals that are in shock and help in their journey to the vet and subsequent recovery, though it is obviously not a replacement for immediate veterinary care. It has definitely saved many animals and is totally safe.
All Natural Stress Reliever
