Keep Season's Greetings from Turning into Season's Emergencies

MINNEAPOLIS – Doctors from BluePearl Veterinary Partners are urging people to practice caution over the holiday season as there is typically a significant uptick in pet-related emergencies. Many of those emergencies are avoidable.

Here are some safety tips from doctors at BluePearl:

• Keep holiday decorations out of reach. Ingestion of metal or glass ornaments, ribbons and tinsel is a medical emergency. They can cause severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

• Place holiday plants high off the ground. Ivy, holly, poinsettia, lilies and evergreens can be toxic to animals if ingested.

• Seal garbage bags and place them in tightly covered containers to prevent pets from getting into something that could injure them.

• Keep pets away from turkey bones, chicken bones and ham bones that can splinter and perforate the intestinal tract.

• Keep your pets on their normal diets. Many spices and foods that are safe for humans are not safe for animals. Onions, garlic, chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, the sugar substitute xylitol and raw or undercooked food can be poisonous to pets.

• Make sure as guests and deliveries come and go pets remain safely inside. Doors left open can result in your pet being hit by a car.

• If traveling with pets, make sure they are comfortable. Try to get them acclimated when they are young by taking them on trips. If needed, your veterinarian can assist with remedies to calm your pet.

“From all of us here at BluePearl Veterinary Partners, we wish you and your family a wonderful and safe holiday season,” said Dr. Jennifer Welser, chief medical officer of BluePearl. “While we are always here to help, we truly hope preventable problems with pets are kept to the absolute minimum this holiday season.”

About BluePearl Veterinary Partners

BluePearl Veterinary Partners employs more than 1,600 people including more than 450 veterinarians. BluePearl hospitals offer referral-only, specialty care services and most offer 24-hour emergency care. BluePearl does not provide primary care. The company is one of the world’s principal providers of approved veterinary residency and internship programs. BluePearl also participates in clinical trials that investigate the effectiveness of new veterinary drugs and treatments, providing pet families access to cutting-edge medicine that is not yet commercially available. BluePearl is headquartered in Tampa, Fla.