News for You and Your Pet

December 15, 2013

Dear ,

Ingrid and Amber

The holidays are in full swing, and its important to keep our pets' safety in mind as we decorate and celebrate. Every year, we hear how poinsettias are life-threatening to pets. In fact, they're not very toxic. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth but if signs develop they are usually mild. There are far more dangerous pet hazards during the holidays, and I share some of them in this issue.

The holidays can be a difficult time if you're mourning a loss, but it is possible to find small moments of joy in the midst of grief. I share some of my personal experiences with grieving during the holidays, and offer some suggestions to help you cope.

Wishing you purrs, wags and a happy and safe holiday season,

Ingrid.

Website: www.ConsciousCat.com
E-Mail: ConsciousCat@cox.net

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In This Issue

More Toxic Than Poinsettias: Top 5 Holiday Cat Hazardse Connection

Finding Holiday Joy When You're Grieving

Highlights from The Conscious Cat

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More Toxic Than Poinsettias: Top 5 Holiday Cat Hazards

By Ingrid King

Poinsettias fill homes with color during the holiday and we all hear how they're life-threatening to pets. In fact, they're not very toxic. They do contain a milky sap that can irritate the mouth but if signs develop they are usually mild. There are far more dangerous pet hazards during the holidays, and the emergency veterinarians at VRCC Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital say these are 5 to watch out for:

Decorations: Tinsel, glass ornaments, spray on snow/flocking, foil, plastic wrap/shrink-wrap, Styrofoam peanuts and ribbon can all be life-threatening if eaten by your pet. Whether lodged in the esophagus, stomach or intestines, these bad actors can cause a plethora of symptoms and may land your pet in the operating room.
Mistletoe: The plant, and particularly the berries, are extremely toxic to pets. The most severe cases can cause low blood pressure, stumbling and even seizures.
Christmas tree food and preservatives: Got a real tree this year? Watch out. Veterinarians at VRCC say sugar-based tree preservatives and tree food/water can harbor dangerous bacteria and a thirsty dog or cat may decide to use the tree stand as a drinking bowl.
Batteries: It may be great to have batteries for that new, cool toy but chewing or swallowing batteries is extremely toxic for pets. Acid burns from chewing and causing a leak in the battery are common, as are cuts from the metal casing. And what about smaller batteries, like AAA, that can easily be gulped down? They can cause internal burns and removal can require surgery.
Potpourri: The spicy smell can fill the house with a wonderful scent, but a pet can experience irritation and corrosion of the eyes, mouth, throat and esophagus if exposed to the liquid form.

The veterinarians at VRCC sent me some rather dramatic x-ray images of Hank, a cat who swallowed thread that was used for stringing popcorn - with the needle still attached. Click on the images to enlarge.

Luckily, Hank's case had a good outcome: his internal medicine specialist was able to remove the needle and the string using an endoscope.

Don't take chances with your cat's health, or, worse, his life. Keep tinsel, ribbon and thread out of reach to avoid temptation. Never try to pull out a string or object that is protruding from your cat's mouth. Take your cat to your veterinarian or the nearest emergency clinic immediately.

By taking some common sense precautions, you and your feline family members can all enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

VRCC Specialty and Emergency Hospital is located in Englewood, CO. Some of the world's leading veterinary specialists work at VRCC in the fields of Neurology/Neurosurgery, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Oncology/Radiation, Surgery, Dermatology/ Allergy, Ophthalmology, and Emergency Care.

Photo: Flickr, Christmas and Cats by Julie Vasquez

Finding Holiday Joy When You're Grieving

By Ingrid King

Five years ago, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, I had to say good bye to my precious little Buckley. Even though I still miss her every day, after five years, the sadness is tempered by appreciation and gratitude for the amazing changes she has brought to my life, and, through her book, to the lives of so many others.

I had never lost a cat during the holidays, and that first holiday season without her was very difficult for me. I love the holidays, and my cats have always been an integral part of the celebrations. The year Buckley died, all I wanted to do was hole up in my house, and pretend that the holiday season wasn't happening all around me. Thankfully, I had put up my Christmas tree the day before she died. I already knew then that she wouldn't be with me at Christmas that year, and I needed to see her with the tree one last time. Otherwise, there probably wouldn't have been a tree that year.

Even if your cat didn't die around the holidays, the first holiday season without a beloved pet is always difficult. The holidays are stressful at the best of times. Add in the stress of grieving a loss, or even just the sadness of missing a beloved family member, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Even though it may seem impossible, the holidays can also be a time of healing, even in the middle of grieving. It is possible to feel grief and joy at the same time if you allow yourself to open your heart and experience the fullness of life.

Perhaps the following suggestions can help you navigate the holiday season with a little less pan, and a little more joy.

Accept the sadness

It's unrealistic to expect that you're going to be happy all the time. Sadness is a natural consequence of lost love. Grief can deepen your ability to love if you let it. There is no way to get through grief except to let yourself feel it. Leaning into your grief will actually allow it to pass more quickly than avoiding it.

Make new traditions

Holiday traditions are important, but they can also make things more difficult if the lost loved one was an important part of those traditions. This may be the time to make new traditions. Reach out to new people, celebrate the holidays in a different location, or even just change where you're going to place the Christmas tree this year. Be creative, and do what feels right for you.

Don't be a perfectionist

If the thought of going all out for the holidays is too overwhelming, work on letting go. Rather than turning every holiday moment into a Norman Rockwell painting, try to do only the things that are truly meaningful for you. The world will not come to an end if you don't send out Christmas cards this year, or if you don't make your special cookies.

Incorporate the lost pet into the holidays

Place a candle next to a photo of your pet in a special place in your home and light it during significant times during the holidays to symbolize the love you shared. Get a living Christmas tree and plant it in your yard in memory of your pet after the holidays. Hang photo frame ornaments with your pet's picture on your tree. The year Buckley died, I put the box that held her ashes, along with a photo of her, under my Christmas tree. It made her part of the celebrations in a way that was meaningful to me.

Take care of yourself

Enjoy the special treats of the holiday season, but also remember to eat wholesome, healthy foods, and get at least some exercise each day. Allow yourself to say no to requests for social gatherings if you simply don't feel up to it. If being out among holiday shoppers seems overwhelming to you this year, do your shopping online.

Give yourself permission to feel joy

Don't deny yourself small moments of relief even while you're grieving. Enjoy small pleasures, such as a delicious cookie, a beautiful piece of music, or the company of a friend. In those moments, you're outside of your grief, and it's okay. I remember going to a holiday concert three weeks after Buckley died. When the concert ended, I realized that I hadn't been thinking about her for a full two hours. I immediately felt guilty, but it really was okay to allow myself that brief respite from grieving.

Accept that the first holiday season without a beloved family member will be difficult. However, if you find it impossible to function or think of the holidays as anything but an unbearable ordeal, you may be severely depressed, and you should seek help from a professional grief counselor.

Highlights from The Conscious Cat

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Mews and Nips: Cat Provides Healing Purrs at VA Medical Center

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Review: The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring by David Michie

The Dalai Lama's cat is back! David Michie first introduced the fictional feline, HHC (His Holiness' Cat), dubbed "Little Snow Lion" by the Dalai Lama himself, in his 2012 novel The Dalai Lama's Cat. HHC was rescued by the Dalai Lama when he saw the small kitten being thrown in the gutter. In the first [...]The post Review: The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring by David Michie appeared first on The Conscious Cat....�

Feline Calicivirus: Not Your Common Cold

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