With only one month left this year, there are lots of exciting events to look forward to such as Christmas and New Year! Let’s talk about accidental ingestion, which is a common problem during the Christmas season★

Be aware of accidental ingestion!

Incidents of accidental ingestion are most common in the Christmas season. There are many unusual objects around, such as presents, Christmas decorations, New Year’s decorations. These items, as well as the large amount of food being served, are certain to catch the attention of cats and dogs. On top of that, cats and dogs tend to get excited with extra guests in the house and do things they wouldn’t normally do. This can often lead to accidents happening when their owners aren’t looking. This happens particularly often when curious kittens and puppies are involved.

What should I look out for?

Please be careful of substances that may remain in the stomach, get stuck in the intestines, or

that are poisonous to cats or dogs. Some examples of such substances are cotton stuffing,

ribbons attached to wrapping, chocolate, onion family vegetables, alcohol, hard or sharp objects

like chicken bones etc. Symptoms may include loss of appetite, lack of energy, gastrointestinal

symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, and neurological symptoms such as dyspnea and

convulsions. In addition, hard or sharp objects such as chicken bones can damage the esophagus and foreign objects that become lodged in the stomach or intestines can cause obstruction.

What if my pets accidently swallow something?

Forcing your pet to vomit can be very dangerous. If your pet accidently eats or swallows something, contact your hospital with the following information prepared.

・What they ate

・How much they ate

・When they ate it

How do I prevent accidental ingestion?

It’s a good idea to check that gifts, ornaments, and New Year’s decorations are not missing or torn and place your pets in a cage or separate room during mealtimes. If your pet puts something they shouldn’t eat in their mouth and you try to remove it quickly, they may swallow it reflexively because they don’t want you to take it. etter to distract them with a treat and let them drop it by themselves.

Let’s have a fun and safe Christmas and New Year! Happy Holidays!