Protect Pets From Budding Danger

Beautiful gardens are in popular demand, especially with the focus on enjoyment versus looks. Before you plant any seeds, however, it’s important to remember that some of the plants that make our gardens and yards beautiful can make our animal companions sick or worse.

Toxic Plants

Eating poisonous plants is one of the most common ways that many pets, especially dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles and tortoises, ingest toxic substances. And since there are few effective treatments for toxic plant ingestion, a small mistake in the garden can be catastrophic to your pet and your family.

Plants That Are Reported To Be Toxic to Dogs, Cats or Rabbits

Azalea
Bittersweet
Caladium
Clematis
Crocus
Day Lily
Death Camas
Easter Lily
Ferns
Foxglove
Hyacinth
Iris
Lily of the Valley
Morning Glory
Oleander
Rhododendron
Tiger Lily
Tulip

To identify these toxic plants and more, check out the Pet HealthZone toxic plant chart.

Before you decide to forego flowers and plants and instead use artificial flowers, consider that some pets might find silk flowers just as tasty.

Fertilizers and Pesticides

Finally, no garden would be complete without fertilizers and weed killers. Though these products can make your plants healthier, they can injure (even kill) your pets.

Choose pet-safe options for substances like snail bait and weed and feed products, or go organic and try planting flowers like Mexican marigold, which naturally repel insects without harming animals. When all else fails, check the label and ask a gardening professional. If there’s a doubt about the product’s safety for your pet, don’t use it!

Artificial Plants

Before you decide to forego flowers and plants and instead use artificial flowers, consider that some pets might find silk flowers just as tasty. A curious puppy or kitten with a sweet tooth for silk flowers can lead to intestinal blockage. Most will at least act as an emetic, which means your pet will vomit soon after eating. Other plants can lead to kidney or liver failure, seizures, or even death.

2020 has been quite the year and continues to keep us on our toes.  We hope that this newsletter finds you and your furry family members happy and healthy during this unprecedented time. .

We have come up with a helpful list to ensure your pets have a safe holiday season.

From the table:

• No bones from the table. Small turkey, chicken, or steak bones or bone chips can get stuck in your pet’s throat, stomach, or intestines.
• Fatty foods such as ham, gravy, and butter can irritate your pet’s pancreas and cause abdominal pain and vomiting so although their begging will be in top holiday form, give pet friendly treats instead.
• Also, no macadamia nuts, walnuts, or of course chocolate. All of these can be toxic to your pets.

Around the house:

• Decorations – Watch out for cords. If you furry pal is a chewer, we worry about electrocution. Be sure to secure electrical cords from lights or other decorations and tuck them out of the way.
• Candles – A happy tail or a carefully aimed swat of a paw can knock candles over so be sure to keep them safely away from your pets reach and not left unattended.
• Ornaments – What you consider to be a cherished ornament, your pet may consider to be their toy du jour. Keep sharp or breakable ornaments out of reach. Also, tinsel, ribbons, or other string-like objects should be kept away from pets because when ingested they can wrap around intestines or ball up in the stomach and cause a blockage.
• Tree – Make sure that the tree is secured at the top to prevent climbers from knocking it over. Also, with live trees you’ll want to make sure to keep your pets out of the water. Be mindful of preservatives, sugar, or aspirin that you add to the water to maintain the tree’s freshness, they can be harmful to your furry ones.
• Flowers – Watch out for poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and lilies. Each can be poisonous to pets.

Guests:

• If you have guests coming to your home, watch out for open doors and curious pets. In case of an elusive escape, make sure that your pets have updated collars and tags. Microchipping your pet is also a great precaution.
• Lastly, be aware that your normally friendly dog or cat may be stressed in rooms full of unfamiliar people. Plan ahead and provide them a special quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for your pets to retreat to when the festivities get too stressful.

From all of us at Olympiad Animal Hospital, Happy holidays to you and your furry loved ones.

To our valued friends and clients of Olympiad Animal Hospital,

As an integral part of this community, and as we try to do our part in helping to combat the spread of Covid 19 cases, our clinic has implemented some temporary practices to help our clients, staff, and community stay safe and protected. Please keep in mind that these things are the top priority for us as a clinic and as a long standing business member of this area. The health and well being of your pets has always been the highest priority for us. Now we plan to extend this pledge to the owners who love them, as well as our staff and neighbours in Olympiad Plaza.

As of Monday, March 16, we plan to maintain our normal hours of operation and continue to provide the best care for your pets.

We are aligning policies as outlined by the CDC under the current climate and we are confident that we will get through this difficult time:

– We have encouraged any staff member or client who is feeling ill or has shown any
symptoms to stay home
– We are providing hand sanitizers (as supplies remain) to our staff and clients as they enter or
exit the clinic. In addition, we have implemented a twice daily surface disinfection protocol
– We can provide “drop off” appointments for any client who wishes to not be exposed to the
workplace environment. We can also accommodate clients who have been exposed or are
worried about exposure by providing a “car to door” service- by calling out to you when
you appointment time is ready
– we respectfully ask clients who are feeling ill to make arrangements for other ways to get
their pet seen
– We will work (as always) to expedite client and pet visits so that waiting time and community gathering is minimized.

Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this matter and we are sure that we will all get through these unchartered times as a stronger community

Dr. Margolis, Dr. Gestine, Dr. Brewer and the entire staff at Olympiad Animal Hospital