The holidays--Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's Eve--can be a magical time for humans and pets alike. However, the holiday season poses some unique dangers for pets. Food, decorations, holiday plants and visitors leaving the doors open can all spell trouble for your dog or cat, if you're not careful.

Holiday Pet Hazards

One of the chief hazards for pets during the holiday season is food. Many of the holiday treats that are delicious to humans are toxic to dogs and cats. Among these are chocolate, particularly baker's chocolate and cocoa powder; onions and garlic; raisins and grapes; alcoholic beverages and yeast breads.

Plants, too, can cause problems. Common holiday plants, like mistletoe, poinsettias and holly are all toxic to animals. Our veterinarians also stress being careful with decorations. Tinsel, especially, is enticing to cats and can result in emergency animal surgery if ingested.

Welcoming visitors to your home during the holidays is a wonderful thing, but it can lead to your pet slipping outside when the door is open.  

Holiday Pet Safety Tips

At Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital in Lexington, our veterinarians recommend covering food and promptly removing it from the table after holiday meals. It's also wise to either forego using toxic holiday plants or keep them in an area that is off limits to your pets. Too many veterinary hospitals see cases of plant poisonings during the holiday season.

To avoid "escapes," keep your pets secure in another room while your guests are arriving and leaving. Good dog and cat care also includes having your pet microchipped so that they can be returned to you should they become lost. Veterinary hospitals, shelters and other pet facilities all over the country have scanners that can read your contact information from the chip. Our Lexington veterinary clinic can perform this safe, affordable and painless procedure.

What special precautions do you take during the holiday season to make sure that your dog and cat stay safe?

Most of the time, nature protects us from poisons by making them taste bad. However, for dogs, the lure of delicious chocolate is a very, very dangerous thing. Though a single Hershey’s Kiss will likely only cause the discomfort of diarrhea or vomiting for your dog, it isn't wise to allow your pet to develop a taste for chocolate at all.

The problem lies in the dangerous combination of how delicious chocolate is and how legendarily out of control dogs get when they love what they’re eating. There’s a reason why people say, “I was so hungry, I wolfed down my lunch.” We’ve seen our fair share of Lexington dogs and cats who’ve earned themselves a visit to our animal hospital when they experienced this dangerous combination.

So, what is it in chocolate that’s dangerous? Our animal hospital team can tell you that theobromine, the natural stimulant found in coco plants, is harmful to dogs. It has a mild effect on humans, but some animals, like horses and dogs, get a big boost from theobromine as it stimulates the heart and nervous system. Horses are so affected by theobromine that horse racing rules list chocolate as a banned substance. Since horses weigh so much more than dogs, the same chocolate bar that perks up a big horse will definitely cause an emergency trip to our Lexington veterinarian for a Chihuahua.

So, the bottom line is that keeping chocolate away from your dog (and your cat) will help keep your pet from experiencing unplanned visits to our animal vet clinic.

Our Veterinarian’s Advice for A Chocolate-Safe Holiday Season

As chocolate-heavy holidays approach (Halloween, Christmas, etc.), it’s more important than ever to be aware of chocolate poisoning hazards to your pet. The only perfect strategy is not having any chocolate in your home, but since that's a sacrifice that many of us aren't willing to make, be sure you keep your chocolate securely away from your pet.

Keep chocolate in a tightly closed container, on a high shelf or in a cupboard. Never store chocolate near pet foods. And, never leave bowls of chocolate where your pet can get at them. So be especially careful on Halloween when trick-or-treaters come to call or you may find out first hand that chocolate is no treat for dogs.

Want to know more about common pet toxins? Call us at Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital.

How do you keep chocolate away from your pet?

Hi, I’m Dr. Heyward Boyette, one of the owners of Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital.

My partner Dr. Ginger Macaulay and I want to tell you about Leena, our canine police officer in Lexington, and one of our most distinguished patients . 

We are truly grateful for our local police, including Leena, who put themselves in harms way on a daily basis to protect the residents of Lexington. So, when we were contacted by Elaine Henderson from the Heroes Vest Fund, we were eager to help. The Heroes Vest Fund is an entirely privately funded organization dedicated to providing protective vests for police dogs. These custom fitted vests are bullet proof and stab/slash proof. They even have straps that allow a canine officer to be safely lowered from a helicopter!

We are so pleased that by purchasing a vest we are able to help protect Leena while she protects all of us.

Here are some pictures of Leena in her new vest at the presentation ceremony.

Dr Boyette, Dr Macaulay, Elaine Henderson, Chief Green, Paul Walker & Leena

 (from left to right)

           Paul Walker & Leena

  If you are interested in making a donation to help other canine officers, please contact the

 Heroes Vest Fund.

Welcome to Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital’s new blog! We are a full service animal vet clinic serving the Lexington, Gilbert, and West Columbia areas.  We started this blog as a source of information to assist pet owners in keeping their pets healthy and happy.

Our veterinary clinic offers all types of pet care for pets in Lexington and West Columbia area. Our services include vaccinations, spay and neuter, cat care, and animal surgery. Our veterinary practice is owned by veterinarians Dr. Ginger Macaulay and Dr. Heyward Boyette. Dr. Macaulay & Br Boyette have since been joined by Dr. Kennerly Bast, Dr. Cara McKinnon, Dr. Mary Keisler, and Dr. Crystal Knight.

At the Cherokee Trail Veterinary Hospital here in Lexington, we have worked hard to create a place where pets and their owners feel comfortable and relaxed. As professionals in the field of animal care, we know that vaccinations, spay and neuter, cat care, and all types of animal surgery require a dedication to constant learning. We are truly committed to that, and we stay updated on the very latest in veterinary knowledge—something we consider our duty.

When pet owners bring in their animal, whether it is for a check-up or for treatment of a serious injury, they will find that our goal is to provide high quality care. Our veterinarians and office staff have a true love and passion for animals, and it shows through clearly every day in the way that we treat every animal.

One of the main objectives for this blog will be connecting with pet owners. We know our clients are extremely concerned about their animal's well being—just as it should be! We want to offer resources on keeping pets healthy, providing preventive care, and any other topics pet owners are interested in.

Are there any topics that you would like to see here on the blog?

Feel free to post a comment so we can plan to discuss it in future entries!