Royston Vets: Enjoy Winter With Your Pets
With winter comes considerably colder temperatures and darker evenings, so to keep your pet warm, consider a sweater/coat for them – especially if they are old/elderly or have short hair. If walking your dog in the dark, fit them with a high-vis vest or LED collar to ensure they do not go astray. For cats, consider a reflective collar that can be easily opened if it gets caught somewhere. Moreover, frosted pavements and salt can be irritable for their paws so check them regularly for any cuts/sores. Finally, antifreeze liquid is generally sweet and thus appeals to pets. Unfortunately, it can be very toxic to them so make sure to wipe up any
spills right away.
Then, alas, Christmas. Try your best to keep your pet away from the tree as they could ingest pieces of decorations – leading to intestinal obstruction or perforation. Also, keep the festive food in a safe place: raisins, chocolate, grapes and sweets containing xylitol can be extremely toxic to cats and dogs and so if ingested, seek veterinary advice right away. Try to be as precise as you can.
The vet will ask you the weight of your pet and the amount and type of toxic food ingested (especially chocolate). If the amount of toxic food is risky, then it’s safe to induce vomiting.
For further advice please contact Royston Veterinary Centre on 01763 242221 or visit: www.bit.ly/RoystonVet
