“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” but not if you end up with an emergency vet appointment for your pet.
PDSA Vets alongside PDSA Pet Insurance have warned pet owners of certain dangers that come with the festive season.
Vet nurse Shauna Walsh said: “Festive foods, gifts under the Christmas tree, decorations, and even the most ordinary household objects can tempt curious cats and dogs, putting them in harm’s way.
“Over the festive period, we all eat things we shouldn’t, and that’s no exception for many pets. Our veterinary teams see many poorly pets in need of emergency treatment after they’ve wolfed down something they shouldn’t have over the festive season.
“In December alone last year, our veterinary teams treated over 53,000 pets, conducted over 61,000 consultations, and performed over 2,300 operations. Some of which will have been related to ingestion of a festive hazard.
“This Christmas, we’re urging owners to watch out for prying paws as we revisit seven of the oddest Christmas-themed objects our pet patients have eaten.”
- Fairy Lights – They don’t look appetising at all but cheeky Charlie underwent emergency surgery at Southampton PDSA when his family discovered he had eaten fairy lights. Thankfully, the glass hadn’t cut his mouth or throat, and he hadn’t bitten through the wire when the lights were on, which could have electrocuted him! Thankfully, vets performed life-saving surgery to remove the lights, and Charlie was able to go home with his family.
- Tinsel – Renowned for eating sofas, carpets, and tinsel in his younger days, when Dexter’s family noticed tinsel was missing from the mantelpiece, they were sure their dog was the culprit. However, Dexter showed no signs of illness until later that night, when he was sick. The following morning, Dexter was taken to PDSA, and x-rays confirmed tinsel in his stomach. Vets performed emergency surgery, and to his owners’ relief, Dexter could go home in time for Christmas.
- Golf balls – When Azar the Doberman suddenly lost weight, his owner took him to her local PDSA Vet. To her surprise, they discovered he had swallowed not one but three golf balls! Sadly, two of the balls had lodged themselves in his small intestine, and he was at risk of suffering stomach injuries. It was touch and go, but thankfully Azar survived the operation.
- Star decoration – When a five-month-old puppy was gagging and struggling to breathe, his worried owner knew something wasn’t right. Charlie visited his local PDSA Pet Hospital, where vets performed x-rays and, to their surprise, found a star shining back at them! Vets had to act quickly to remove the star-shaped decoration with forceps to stop the puppy from choking.
- Nintendo DS game – It was almost game over for Rocco when PDSA Vets discovered the curious canine had swallowed a Nintendo DS game. He started vomiting and refused to eat, so his owners took him to PDSA Glasgow Shamrock Street Pet Hospital for an emergency appointment. Vets found a rectangular-shaped object in his gut on x-rays and performed emergency surgery to remove it immediately. They were stunned to retrieve a video game cartridge from his small intestine, but thankfully, Rocco survived and was able to go home to rest and recover the following day.
