It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
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Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff, and with me not only is my new bff, but he's a return guest. It's doctor Andrew Torsha from Heart of Chelsea Vet Group. So, Andrew, this is your second time on Maria's Mutts and Stuff. And I'm so grateful for you, so thank you.
Thank you so much, second times of charm.
Right, Yes that's what they say, but you know, I love talking to you, and I know my listeners love to hear you and all of your knowledge. And I thought it would be kind of appropriate to end this year of twenty twenty four as we get into the holidays some pets safety tips because so many of us have pets, right, so many people have pets and run into the holidays. It's so many different things and don't realize that there were so many things in our homes
that are dangerous and maybe they don't realize. So I thought, oh, let's do a good deed and help people with that.
So, yeah, just a couple of things to keep your eyes out for.
Yes, okay, so you know my thought. Of course, Christmas decorations Hanika candles, right, those those types.
Of my list. Okay, decorations is that I have a little list here and those at the top of my list absolutely perfect.
Okay, so let you go tell me which Christmas decorations and what.
Yes, the sneaky ones are the stringy ones. Okay, So ribbons big deal, tinsel be a big deal, and dogs. It can happen to dogs, but mostly cats. So we call that a linear foreign body. If they ingest or if they attempt to ingest something that's string like and linear foreign bodies, they can be really tricky because they can implant somewhere in your gas for intestinal tract and then part of it starts to track down your intestines, but the other part doesn't, so the intest do not
enjoy that. Yeah, be really serious.
Okay, so that's of course. Uh Now, my I don't really know too many dogs. I mean, I do know dogs that have knocked down Christmas trees. But my thought is, if you put up a Christmas tree and you put tinsel, and you have a cat, what would stop, right?
A cat? You enlightening them over? Yeah, shiny, they're just a little gust of wind and they're moving. Sure, the cat toy.
So probably the best thing if you do have a cat is not to put tinsel on your tree.
Yeah, I would honestly avoid it. Yeah, I've had to do surgery for that specifically.
Yeah, okay, and yeah, no I get that. And Garland, I would say, goes along with that too, right because it's shiny and yeah.
Yeah exactly, and Riven from Presents, Yeah that's huge. Yeah in that too. Yeah, little pieces you can usually be okay, tiny little pieces less than an inch. That doesn't scare me at all. It's a really longer one.
Right, So you know what.
Another thought to that is, say you're hosting the holiday, it's Christmas Day and you have all these people over and kids, and everybody's opening presents going nuts. Pay attention to opening presents and everybody going nuts because there could be big long pieces of ribbon that you're taking off gifts. So that's a good point.
Andrew, thank you certainly.
Okay, tell me what else is on your list?
Well, speaking of opening gifts, having people over, the guests just kind of have to look out for what guests may provide for these cute little angels that they want to give random things like a piece of chicken, or maybe sometimes give the dog a bone, quote unquote, but a lot of times you shouldn't be given the dog a bone. Chicken bones are not good. They splinter really easily, and so they can be unpleasant to try and digest those.
So just watch out for the guests visiting, letting them know, get things approved if we're going to try and give a little bit of fun table scraps. I get why people do that. I mean, you have a dog for a reason. I got your dog. I'm Italian. I'm feeding his happiness. Of course, I'm with you, of course, Yeah, you do One thing that, yeah, I specifically say with guests is dental floss. Make sure they put dental floss in a covered trash can instead of an open bathroom
low to the ground. I mean that dental floss smells good.
That's true, you're so smart, says that's your sneaky and stringy thing.
I didn't even I would never think of dental floss. But of course, and it smells good.
Yeah, it smells good. I guess that's how we'll phrase it.
It smells good, it smells good, and it's string it's a long string. Yeah, that would be not good at all. You're so smart. Yes, I love talking to you.
You are okay a little bit. It's been eighteen years in the betfield, so I've seen a couple of things here, and yeah, I.
Think, yeah, I think you're pretty well versed. You know what you're doing. You know.
Okay, so nice. No, but I'm telling the truth. I never lie, you know that.
So okay.
So we have the decorations like ribbons and tinsel and garland, do we have the guests? So you kind of have to warn your guests and tell them. I mean, you know, I remember back in you know, years ago, having like a New Year's Eve party and you know, and and don't feed my dog. And then also one of my friends is like feeding my dog and I was like, you know, I will never invite you again.
Because you know, people don't listen.
But you're right. They feel like, oh, you know, he was asked my favorite and thing.
They I could just.
Tell by the way he was looking at me he wanted something. It's like he's a dog. They know how to do that.
Play you right, solutally, that's their whole purpose. You can even have you can be prophylactic with it. You can have like here's the dog treats. Yes, it's decorated holiday dog treat canister. If he's given you those eyes, these are approved, correct, Not what's on your plate.
Yeah, no, that's very smart.
That's actually a very a good way to be proactive and make sure your guests don't do the wrong thing.
That's smart. See, you are smart.
Give him an option, an option to reach for.
Options are always good. Options are always good.
Are what about I'm alcoholic drinks as New Year's comes in champagne and all those bubbly things not good for cats or dogs?
Right, No, No, not good at all. I did see an ad once or cat wine and I looked at the ingredients and it's cat wine specifically, and the ingredients were fine. So if you want to buy animal specific again, be prophylact to give them an option. Sure, my animal wine, it's not really wine. It's not really wine, right, But if you want to have fun, just prepare.
Right, right, because I think years ago I'm sure they still have it.
They were like bars that had dog beer, but they were made they was it wasn't made out of beer. It was the same thing like cat wine. Yeah, it was like whatever ingredients that were safe. Yeah, yeah, so what about.
It's fun to make that stuff for them. It's fun to make that ahead of time. Sure, and so if you just prepare, you can sure you can give them something a little as a little fun treat.
So yeah, it's the right thing, right, don't give them real wine or real beer. And of course champagne is just as bad obviously, and wine and yeah correct and all those yeah yeah, yeah okay, and regular hard liquor also not good for cats.
Or dogs, absolutely not.
Okay, So like it's the big X across all of those things, except the stuff that's made for cats and dogs with a good.
Ingredients and save save the milk and cookies for Santa.
Oh yeah, that's another thing that's right, because cats don't really milk isn't good for them?
Is that correct?
No? No, no, storytales have really made people think that cats drink milk, but they don't handle milk well at all. Yeah. Okay, that's too many trips at litter box after that.
Yeah, oh so are cats and this is a stupid question, are I guess they're lactose intolerant?
Do they eat cheese?
For cow's milk. I'm sure they can probably stuff. I wouldn't risk it personally. One thing that on my list is variance is just it just makes things difficult. I try to limit variants as much as possible. So that includes like, if you're going to buy something fun for them for the holidays, try and stick to a protein source that they're used to. If you're dogs on a beef based diet, get a beef based treat instead of grabbing these variety packs with a whole bunch of different
meats or flavors or such in the bag. Sure they humans get a little bit excited about variants, but dogs don't. They just get excited that they're eating. Well, they don't mean yeah, all of this, like all these new different treats from different sources, that'll just line them up for probably no success.
No, you're right. You know it's so funny. You really hit the nail on the head again. It's true.
Humans get excited about variety packs. It's true, right, like, oh cool, it's all different thigs I'm getting. But animals are like whatever, yeah, right, that's so clever that Yeah, you're right, you're absolutely right.
Oh these are.
Reward isn't higher because it's different. The reward is just choose something you know they love and that fits well with them.
Yeah, no, that makes sense. That makes sense.
What about as we get towards New Year's Eve and noise and fire works and crazy.
Yeah, travel, travel and noise so anxieties with mostly dogs. I mean cats too, but they tend to be good self regulators and find in finding hiding spots. But travel and noise can really be a really, really big phobia for dogs. And so with the noise, you can do things like have the lines shut, you can put other noises on, like the television, make sure that they have
a safe space that they can go to. A lot of people know their dog is noise responsive and can be preventive with it by talking to your veterinarian about medication that you might be able to try ahead of time. And people have they struggle with that sometimes because there are these connotations that a lot of people have with giving their dogs meds or things like prozac or a sedative. There are the negative connotations, and I don't want a
dog to be medicated if they don't need to. But just think about a potential alternative where instead of them full body trembling trying to get under a bed. They are just relaxed in their napping and they can still lift their head and they can walk around. They just aren't experiencing the stress event, right, So it's worth a shot. Just start work with your vet, start at a relatively low dose, and just give it a trial before the
fireworks happen, and that can help you hopefully achieve success there. Yeah.
No, I mean I think that's a great idea.
And you really hit the nail on the head because I don't know why it has like a negative connotation. You're not drugging your animal, right, You're doing what's best for the animal especially you know, obviously if you really were that concerned, you won't be having a party. But okay, you are having the party anyway, so you need to think of your animals before. So yeah, no, that's a very very good point. All very good points, Andrew. I love these, No, these are these are great tips. And
I mean you I had a list. You had a list. You covered everything that I was I was concerned about, decorations, foods, drinks, company, noise.
Am I missing something?
Point setters? Hopefully people know that, Yes.
That's my plants, thank you so much.
Yes, yes, yeah they can. It's not a myth that some of these plants are life threateningly toxic. Some animals I've lilies are really they should not interact with cats in any way, even the pollen from a lily. Crazy.
But no, not at all.
Physically seen it happen. I've been present seeing it happen. So if you're going to send someone flowers, look up what's in the flowers before you send them if they have a pet. Yeah, and uh, point setters. If I had a cat, I just wouldn't have a point set in the house.
Yeah, no, that's very smart.
And are those really the two most lethal of point set is in lily?
Or they are set and lilies? Those are the two, okay?
And which brings me to live Christmas trees?
The pine needles if because I know sometimes dogs like to eat those.
Haven't it could upset their stomach? Haven't seen personally, haven't seen that cause any really substantial problem. Pine cones are terrible. Oh yeah, but pine pine needles, I wouldn't. It wouldn't be an emergency situation in my opinion.
Chewing on it because it smells good and you know they like the tickle of the prickly whatever on their right.
Because dogs make me laugh.
And also for cats too, if they eat some pine needles needles not cones, that's also okay.
Yeah, tiny little piece, haven't seen any problem with that. Any plant can upset the stomach. Sure, I haven't had that experience yet. There's the SCCI has a really really good pet poisoned helplied really good, yes, like nationally acclaimed
good they have. It's really cool because they have toxicologists on staff, and those toxicologists are of course specifically trained in animal welfare and animal health, and a bunch of companies will release the recipes with the exact quantity of ingredient to the ASCCA, where the general public can't get that information. So if you're concerned about a toxicity, as CCA probably has more information than you can get online, not to tell you if it's an emergency situation or not, right, which.
Is good, which is good because God forbid, as much as you could be, as much as you prepare, sometimes things happen.
You know, it's life, right, Things happen.
Things are hectic, it's a holiday, there are people, there are kids, and oh no, the dog got into this, so that's that's a very good point.
So well, these are great, These are these are really great.
I think you gave such good you know, good advice and good tips for everyone.
I don't know, I think I think you're great. You're great. Thank you so much for caring so much well about these animals.
Of course, and thank you because I know you're in the middle of your workday and you took time out to share your knowledge with me and my listeners, and we do appreciate you. And of course from the heart of Chelsea Vet Group and you can see at heart off Chelsea dot com. Doctor Andrew Torsha, you are the best. We will definitely talk again next year because I will find some reason to talk with you again because you're full of knowledge and I like to make you share it.
So thank you every day day you say that, but so thank you and have a great holiday and happy New Year.
Thank you too.