WINNIPEG – Just like people, animals get pretty excited about the hustle and bustle over the holidays. But there are some things that are important for pet owners to remember during this busy time.
“It’s a very common thing where a cat eats a ribbon or a tinsel under the tree,” saod Leigh Weatherburn, registered animal health technologist. “And then what happens is it gets stuck in the intestines and the intestines bunch up.”
The Tuxedo Animal Hospital posted some photos of a cat named Bea on Facebook reminding pet owners that this is common over the holidays. Bea had surgery to remove the tinsel she ate off the tree after her owner noticed she was acting tired and vomiting. Weatherburn said it’s best to avoid having ribbon around cats altogether.
“Not using the free tinsel on the tree, that’s really bad and actually quite sharp, not using ribbons on your packages or disposing of them right away,” said Weatherburn.
While cats may be the bigger culprit when it comes to eating decorations it happens with dogs too. But the hospital sees more cases related to food over the holidays that make the pups sick.
“Dogs get sick from eating too much, people feeding them or they’ve gotten into a box of chocolates under the tree,” said Weatherburn.
The hospital and pet stores recommend having treats specially made for pets around the house and chew toys so that they aren’t distracted by the decorations.
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