How to keep your pets safe this New Year’s…

New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration as we bid farewell to the memories of the old year and welcome the promises of the new year. For our pets, the festivities of New Year’s Eve are tempered by the reality that every year pets throughout the country are lost or injured during this time of year. Here are a few tips you can follow to help keep your pets safe:

Keep pets away from the celebration
While most of us enjoy New Year’s Eve, it can be loud and scary for our pets. Noise makers, popping champagne corks and occasional fireworks can unnerve pets and frightened animals will often escape in order to get away. Runaway pets can become lost or get hit by a car. To keep your pet safe and stress-free during the celebration, be sure to keep them indoors, preferably in a secure and comfortable room. Give your pet their favorite toy or a new chew toy to keep them distracted. Turn on the TV or radio to help drown out loud and scary noises.

Be sure all pets have ID tags and microchips
All of your pets should have ID tags and microchips, even indoor-only cats. A door or gate could be left open accidentally during the evening festivities, and your pet can escape if they become frightened. Collars, ID tags and microchips are the best way to ensure that if your pet gets lost they will be returned to you.

Watch out for food hazards
Let’s face it most New Year’s Eve parties are full of delicious foods. However, certain foods that we may love can be dangerous or even deadly to our pets. Here are some foods you should never share with your four-legged friends:
1. Alcoholic beverages- It may seem obvious but pets should not consume alcohol. Alcoholic beverages can cause intoxication, liver damage, coma and even death depending on the quantity that is consumed and the size of your pet.
2. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which can have affect your pets gastrointestinal tract, heart and nervous system. The bakers chocolate and dark chocolates are more dangerous because they contain higher levels of theobromine and caffeine than the milk chocolates. Keep all chocolate out of reach of pets.
3. Coffee and Cocoa – Have the same effects as chocolate and thus should also not be shared with your pets.
4. Grapes and Raisins can cause severe kidney damage. Be sure to keep all grapes or raisins out of reach of pets.
5. Onions- Won’t just give your dog really bad breath- they are actually very dangerous, as they can cause RBC destruction, which can lead to anemia. Be careful when you are chopping onions… if you drop onions pick them up right away. Cats are even more sensitive to onion toxicity.
6. Macadamia Nuts- Also contain an unknown toxin that can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscles. Consumption of Macadamia nuts can cause a fever, ataxia, paresis, tremors, and pain.
7. Bones-And as most people know never give your pets chicken or fish bones- these types of bones can splinter and cause trauma or become lodged in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract.
8. Fatty Foods-Also avoid sharing fatty foods with your pets. Fatty food can lead to life threatening inflammation of the pancreas-called pancreatitis.

Follow these tips to avoid a trip to the ER and most importantly to help ensure your pets have a safe New Year’s celebration.