Celebrating Christmas With Your Pets!

Happy Holidays to you!  Are you ready for Christmas?  Have you decorated your home with merry cheer?  Pet parents, will you be including your pets in all the holiday fun?  If so, you might want to take notice of these oh-so-merry tips to keep the family out of the pet emergency clinic this year!

Christmas Tree Folly!

Veteran pet parents know that you should always securely anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn’t come crashing down in the middle of the night, possibly causing injury to your pets, and destroying your most prized In-Sync Exotics’ ornaments [gasp!]. 

Click HERE to order In-Sync Exotics' Ornaments!

If you have a fresh cut tree, you don’t want to spill the water or allow your pets to drink from the base of the tree because the water may contain fertilizers that can cause your pet(s) to feel very sick.  Plus, stagnant tree water can be a breeding ground for nasty bacteria and your pet can become violently ill (both ends) should he decide to drink from the tree’s water bowl.  Nothing like taking a trip to the emergency pet clinic on Christmas Day, right?

The Joys of Sparkling Tinsel and “Icicles”!

Picture from Christmas Cats!

No doubt while decorating your tree, your curious little kitty “assistant” discovered the tinsel or “icicle” trimmings.  This sparkly, crinkling material is light and easy to pull out of the bag or box, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on your little “helper.”  Most pet parents either avoid placing this type of material on the lower limbs of the tree where dogs and cats can easily reach these items, or they just skip this type of tree decoration all together.  For you see, if your pet eats this shiny material it can lead to an obstruction to our pet's digestive system, causing your fur baby to vomit, leading to dehydration, and then it’s off to the emergency pet clinic you go, oh joy!  All in all, it’s probably best you skip the sparkling tinsel and icicles this year!

All Wired Up!

Picture from Cats & Christmas Trees

Keep Christmas tree lights wires, glass and plastic ornaments out of curious paws’ reach!  If your pet chews on a wire, he may potentially receive a lethal electrical shock.  Breakable ornaments may become embedded in your pet’s paws or damage his mouth.  And if you have batteries lying around, make sure your pet does not chew on them because battery acid may burn the insides of his mouth and esophagus!

Christmas Mistletoe, Holly, and Poinsettia Plants

During the holiday season, these plants enviably find their way into our homes.  Just remember to keep Mistletoe and Holly away from your dogs and cats because Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems, while Holley can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea [and a trip to the vet, oh joy, oh joy!]. 

Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) plants are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs.  The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals called diterpenoid euphorbol esters and saponin-like detergents. While poinsettias are commonly “hyped” as poisonous plants, they rarely are, and the poisoning is greatly exaggerated. The far more worrisome plants given as gifts listed are bouquets containing lilies.   

Flower bouquets brought into the house by holiday guests should be thoroughly inspected, as lilies are the #1 flower often used by florists. Just one or two bites from a lily can result in severe acute kidney failure in cats – even the pollen is thought to be poisonous!

How can you tell if your cat or dog has nibbled on one of these green toxic plants?  If a small amount was digested then mild signs of gastrointestinal irritation will be apparent, although if ingested in large amounts, collapse, hypotension, ataxia (walking drunk), and seizures may occur and you must immediately take your dog or cat to the emergency vet clinic for poison treatment. 

Toy Joy

Picture from Christmas Dog & Cat Serenade!

Always use common sense when it comes to purchasing toys for your pets.  You know your pet better than anyone else—so always remember that little toys or toys that can be torn apart and then swallowed can become lodged in your pet’s esophagus, stomach, or intestines.   If you have a dog that loves to shred toys, may we suggest the indestructible Kongs?  Our cougars and small exotic cats love playing with them plus they have the added benefit of stuffing the toy with healthy foods or chew snacks.

Long, stringy cat toys are a cat’s dream, but a real nightmare for you [think trip to the vet clinic again].  Ribbon, yarn, tree trimmings, and tiny decorations can get stuck in the pet stomach and digestive system and may require surgery to remove.  Surprise kitty with a toy that cannot be swallowed, like a large catnip mouse toy instead! 

As a reminder, toys should be picked up and put away after play so no accidental injuries or toy swallowing may occur when you are not around.

Delectable Leftovers!

Picture from Cats That Pester for Food!

Fatty, spicy and no-no human foods such as chocolate, coffee, caffeine, grapes, raisins, avocados, Macadamia nuts, yeast dough,  raw/under cooked meat, eggs, bones, onions, garlic, chives, milk, salt, Xylitol (sweetener), and alcohol can make your pets very sick!  Keep an eye on your pets that like to steal food from the table, so that they don't accidentally ingest these no-no foods.  Pets can enjoy a “holiday” meal that is made for “pets” so you don’t have to worry about costly medical bills!

And Finally, Happy New Year!

As you count down the seconds to the New Year, keep in mind that stringy confetti can get lodged in a cat’s digestive tract, if digested, and may require surgery to remove.  Noisy noise poppers and horns can terrify dogs and cats, causing damage to their sensitive ears.  Best to start the new year by allowing your pet a quiet space of her own, with a soft bed, water and food, so she can also enjoy the New Year celebration too!

So here's to a safe and happy Christmas Season with your pets--may you and your pet avoid any visits to the emergency vet!

Our beautiful calendars will be available for pickup at our on-site Gift Store on Thursday, December 6th!  Each calendar costs $18 if you pick it up in person from our sanctuary's gift shop.  If you'd like to have a calendar shipped to you by standard mail, then the cost of the item is $18 + $3.00 (mail cost) for a total of $21.00 a piece.  So, for example, if you purchase a calendar for yourself and friend plus have them both mailed, then the total cost would be $21.00 x 2 = $42.00.

The In-Sync Exotics' 2013 calendar makes a terrific gift...so are you ready to order your special In-Sync Exotics calendar today?  Yes?  Great!  Here's how you can order:

Click HERE to pay by credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express). Credit card payments can be made using our secure PayPal processor, so click on the "Donate" button to start the credit card transaction!

In the "purpose" box, please indicate the number of calendars purchased and where we should ship the calendar(s).  If shipping calendars to more than two destinations, you may have make separate purchases on-line so as to accommodate the text size of the addresses typed in the "purpose" box.

Remember, during the holiday season, mail takes a little longer in reaching its destination, so you'll want to order your calendars before December 16, 2012 so it will arrive before the start of 2013! 

If you want to pay by check, you can mail your calendar payment to:

In-Sync Exotics

PO Box 968

Wylie, Texas 75098

Remember to include the name and shipping address of the calendar(s)' recipient(s)!

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting! Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fun and informative information about our exotic cats and their friends of In-Sync Exotics! Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

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