1:21pm | Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) reminds residents to keep the holiday season fun and safe for all family members including pets. Try to minimize stress by keeping your pet’s eating and exercise habits as close to their normal routine as possible. The holidays also bring forth an array of potential hazards for animals, so please follow the following recommendations:

Foods that are safe for humans are not always safe for pets
In general, sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset a pet’s stomach, and even lead to inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which is a serious condition that may require hospitalization and expensive treatment.

  • Chocolate can cause hyperexcitability, nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea and even death
  • Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in sugar-free candy, gum and other products, can cause a drop in blood sugar, collapse, seizures and liver failure in dogs.
  • Macadamia nuts can cause vomiting, tremors, and harmful elevations in body temperature in dogs.
  • Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs, and there are some reports that cats may also be affected.

Toys and Decorations
Cats love to play with tinsel, strings and ribbons, but these pose a great danger to cats – if eaten, they can get lodged in the intestines, which would lead to urgent surgery. Additionally, dogs can tear their toys apart and swallow them, and pieces might become lodged in the esophagus, stomach or intestines, which can become a life-threatening condition necessitating surgery.

Dangerous Plants
Holiday plants can be harmful if consumed by a curious cat or dog.

  • Holly and Poinsettias can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea if ingested.
  • Mistletoe can cause heart problems and gastrointestinal upset.
  • Lilies can cause kidney failure in cats. Opt for a jolly artificial plant or choose a pet-safe bouquet.
  • Stagnant water in a tree stand may be a breeding ground for bacteria possibly dangerous fertilizers that can cause stomach upset if consumed.

New Year’s Concerns

  • Strings of thrown confetti can get lodged in the intestines of cats or dogs if ingested, perhaps necessitating surgery.
  • Poppers, sparklers, fire works, etc. can terrify pets, cause damage to sensitive ears and may lead pets to jump fences or run away in fear. Please remember that all fireworks are illegal in the City of Long Beach.

Make arrangements for pet care if you go out of town

  • Ensure the care of your pet by providing proper nutrition, appropriate care and a secure environment.
  • All pets in Long Beach are required by law to be licensed. One of the benefits to licensing is the vacation pet alert. Before leaving town, pet owners with a current license may call 562-570-PETS to register where and with whom their pet will stay with while they are gone, and ensure that pets are returned home in case they get lost.

Licensing and microchipping
Licensing and microchipping pets greatly increases the chances of reuniting a lost pet with its owner. For information or assistance with dog licensing, call Long Beach Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387 or visit www.longbeach.gov/acs/default.asp.

Emergency veterinary hospitals

  • Make sure you know the number of the emergency veterinary hospitals in your area.
  • Take a few minutes to drive by your local emergency veterinary hospital so you can be sure you can easily find it an emergency.

The goal of Long Beach Animal Care Services is to make Long Beach the safest large city in California for people and animals through the promotion of responsible pet ownership and recreation. LBACS serves 600,000 residents and pets in Long Beach, Cerritos, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos and Signal Hill.