The holiday season is a great time to make new memories with family, friends, and fur-babies! There are a just a few precautions that pet parents need to take to keep their pets safe this holiday season. ​Dr. Rusty Tracy, D.V.M. lists the 5 most common things to watch out for.

Human foods that are high in fat can be especially harmful to your pets. Since dogs and cats are accustomed to normal to low fat diets, ingesting fatty foods can cause weakness and pain as well as severe stomach upset including throwing up, diarrhea, and severe pancreatitis which is potentially life-threatening. If your pet exhibits several of these symptoms repeatedly, contact your veterinarian right away. Avoid giving your dog ham, fatty table scraps and left overs, and dark turkey meat. 

Ham bones & turkey bones are choking hazards for your pet. While you may not be directly giving your pet leftovers or bones, many dogs and cats get into the trash. For this reason we recommend that you take your trash out quickly. During this time of year we see an increase in dogs coming in for foreign body removals of disposable plates, silverware, or other items that had food remnants on them.

Candy, chocolate, and other sweets that contain xylitol can be toxic for both dogs and cats. Xylitol is just a sugar substitute found in some sugar-free candies, gum and recipes. When ingested by pets, xylitol may cause vomiting, loss of coordination, seizures, and in severe cases, liver failure. Make sure that you put your sweets far out of reach from your pets. 

Certain foods like nuts & raisins can also cause stomach upset for your pets. In high quantities, these can be toxic. Keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food. It's also okay to set some house rules for your guests and ask your them to not feed your pets.

Cats are notorious for eating tinsel. This sparkling decoration attracts cats like nothing else, so it's best to use a different decoration for your tree. Tinsel is thin and sharp and can easily wrap itself around the intestines or ball up in the stomach once ingested. Dr. Tracy has had to do several surgeries to remove balls of tinsel from cat intestines. Lights are another thing to watch out for.

Dr. Rusty Tracy asks pet owners to be alert this time of year: "You've got to watch out for cats getting up into the tree and electrocuting themselves. They like to chew on those lights! You don't have to get rid of all your decorations; it's just a time of year to be cautious." 

Be mindful of where you place your electrical outlets, and if possible, keep them out of reach from your pet. 

​There are few things that will startle you more than discovering a lump or bump on your dog or cat. You may be snuggling or petting your pet to find that there is something there that wasn't there before. Now, not all lumps and bumps on or under your dog or cat’s skin will be cancerous, but there is no way to know for sure without getting your veterinarian involved – this is especially important if the lump is not resolving itself or is growing in size.

Many times the lumps can be “lipomas”, or fat deposits under the skin. They are soft, rounded, non-painful masses, and usually present just under the skin. They are common and usually present no problems. However, A needle aspirate is commonly done and a veterinarian can let you know if the cells are cancerous or not.

​In most cases, lipomas do not have to be removed. However, there are occasions tumors grow to a very large size, or are in a location that is causing a pet an issue. In those cases, surgical removal may be recommended.

Treatment can range from surgical removal to referral to a specialist for chemotherapy and radiation. While we wish this method would be sufficient to stop the cancer, there are times where removal of a limb is necessary if the tumor is aggressive. Your veterinarian will be able to speak with you about the best option of care for your pet.