Operation News-November 2025
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day. December will be busy for most of us. Now is a good time to review how we can better keep our hounds safe.
Cords: Chewing on cords can result in serious injuries, such as electrical shock and oral burns. When decorating this season, make cords less accessible by using cord organizers, tape and electrical cord covers. You can also try using a bitter, pet-friendly cord spray to minimize gnawing.
Candles: Candles set a festive mood, but a curious pet can disrupt it if the candle is knocked over and starts a fire. Pets can also get burned if they get too close. Smoke can also potentially irritate your pet’s respiratory system, especially if they have asthma or other respiratory issues. Try battery-operated, flameless candles as a safer alternative.
Live Trees: Keep pets away from the water. Evergreens contain harmful chemicals in the bark and sap, which can leach into the tree’s water supply. It’s important to change the water regularly and prevent your pet from drinking from the stand. Laying a wire screen over the base can help keep your pet out of the water.
Clean up evergreen needles. The oil on pine needles can irritate pets. Sharp needles can also puncture the digestive tract if swallowed, or they can lodge in the intestines and require surgery to remove. Make sure to regularly sweep up needles that drop to the floor.
Ornaments: Glass ornaments can easily be knocked down and broken, leading to cuts. Salt-dough ornaments (even once they’re dry) can seem tempting to pets, but too much salt can cause dehydration or salt poisoning. Be mindful of where decorations hang and keep breakable or dangerous ones out of your pet’s reach.
True story – Paisley, one of my first greyhounds, was adopted during the holidays. The tree was up and decorated, and it looked quite lovely, if I do say so myself. Miss “P” walked into my home and promptly made her way to the tree and proceeded to bite a glass ornament. Luckily, I was able to grab her and get the broken glass out of her mouth. No harm done. Needless to say, future trees had glass ornaments out of her reach.
Plants and Flowers: Despite popular belief, poinsettias are only mildly toxic to pets and may not require medical attention unless clinical signs, such as drooling, vomiting and diarrhea, are severe. However, many other festive flowers and plants, such as amaryllis, chrysanthemums, evergreens, holly, ivy, juniper, lilies and mistletoe are toxic to your furry friends. Steer clear of bringing these flowers and plants into your home, or ensure they are out of reach to pets. Keep in mind that even non-toxic flowers can cause vomiting, choking and diarrhea, if too many are ingested.
Food: Many of us make food a big part of our festivities, but did you know that many foods we enjoy can be dangerous to pets? If any of these foods are on your holiday menu, you’ll want to take extra care to keep them out of your pet’s reach.
- Alcohol. Alcohol can be poisonous to pets and, in some cases, can lead to a coma or death. Even seemingly harmless amounts can be lethal. As little as one ounce of alcohol can kill a small cat or dog. Alcohol can also be found in some baked goods, like fruit cake, so keep those away from pets as well.
- Bones. Although it may seem natural to give your dog a bone, bones are a choking hazard, and they can splinter and cause an obstruction or laceration in the digestive system. If you give your dog a bone, make it a biscuit.
- Candy. Hard candies can be choking hazards or cause obstruction. Sugar-free candy and gum often contain xylitol. When dogs ingest xylitol, it triggers the rapid release of insulin, which can lead to a dramatic and potentially dangerous drop in blood sugar.
- Chocolate. Chocolate contains fat, caffeine and theobromine, which is most toxic to pets. The darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of theobromine, and the more dangerous it is.
- Dough. Unbaked bread dough can be surprisingly appealing to pets, especially if it contains salt. Ingested yeast dough can rise inside a pet’s digestive tract, blocking or rupturing internal organs and potentially causing seizures and respiratory failure.
- Meat. Fatty meats and poultry skin can cause gastrointestinal issues. If your pet eats a lot, it can lead to pancreatitis. Even if you don’t share table scraps, some pets are known to table and counter surf, so remove plates when done eating. Place trash in a secure area as well.
- Other ingredients. Even foods that aren’t the main star of the meal can cause an issue for your pet. For instance, onions can cause blood cell damage in dogs and cats. Macadamia nuts can be toxic and cause neurological problems such as seizures. Many holiday baked goods contain raisins; however, raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs.
Gifts: Keep food gifts out of reach. Wrapping paper, ribbons and bows can pose a potential choking hazard.
Finally, the holidays can be stressful for you and your pet. Ringing doorbells, extra visitors and bustling activity can cause anxiety. Please give them a safe space to escape from the noise and commotion.
Make sure IDs are up to date. You may find your door is open more than usual with incoming guests and package deliveries, increasing the chance that your pet could dash out the door. Ensure your pet’s chip and identification are updated in case they become lost. Make sure that the GPS is fully charged. Whenever possible, put your pet in their safe place before you open the door.
Always moving forward,
Nancy
Nancy Lynberg is the Operations Director of Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption and can be reached at nancy@sagreys.org.