Tail Talk with Dr. O’Hara

From Trees, Treats, And Guests: Keeping Dogs And Cats Safe Around The Holidays

• Dr. O’Hara • Episode 12

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How Can We Keep Our Pets Safe And Healthy During The Holidays?

Holiday magic can hide real risks for dogs and cats, and we’re here to make the season safer without losing any joy. We dig into the big hazards that spike in December—stringy décor, rich food, unsafe chews, chaotic gatherings, and freezing temps—and share practical, vet-tested ways to prevent emergencies. You’ll hear clear guidance on the Christmas tree zone, from anchoring and barrier ideas to why tinsel and ribbon cause dangerous intestinal blockages, plus simple cleanup habits that stop trouble before it starts.

Food temptations get a reality check. We break down why chocolate and xylitol land pets in the ER, how fatty meats and gravy trigger pancreatitis, and the real risks behind cooked bones and counter-surfing. Want to treat your pet anyway? We offer safer swaps, portion ideas, and training tips like a reliable leave it and planned enrichment to keep curious noses out of harm’s way.

Chew season also needs a rethink. We compare rawhide, bully sticks, and modern synthetic options, and explain how size, supervision, and chew style affect choking and blockage risks. For anxious pets, we map out stress relief tactics: quiet rooms, covered crates, visitor etiquette, sound buffers, and predictable routines that help animals feel secure when the house is full. Finally, we cover winter-specific safety—pet-safe ice melt, paw rinses, sensible coats, and a quick refresher on antifreeze toxicity that every pet owner should know.

If you want a calm, cozy holiday with fewer vet visits and more wagging tails, this conversation gives you the checklist. Subscribe, share with a fellow pet parent, and leave a review with your best holiday safety tip—we’ll feature our favorites next time.

To learn more about Abingdon Animal Medical Center visit:
https://www.MyAbingdonVet.com
Abingdon Animal Medical Center
19586 Dennison Drive
Abingdon, VA 24211
276-628-9655

SPEAKER_00:

Dr. Harris, welcome to Tale Talk with Dr. O'Hara, where eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia's favorite pets get the spotlight they deserve. Combining small-town charm with state-of-the-art veterinary care. Whether your furry friend purrs, barks, or just steals your stock, this is the place for tips, tails, and a whole lot of tail wagging.

SPEAKER_02:

The holidays bring joy, but they can also bring hidden risks for our furry friends. Welcome back, everybody. Skip Mani back here on uh the Abington Animal Medical Center Tale Talk with Dr. O'Hara. Dr. O'Hara, how's it going?

SPEAKER_01:

It's going great. How are you doing, Skip?

SPEAKER_02:

Doing fine, doing fine. Getting ready for the holidays, which, you know, I don't know exactly what that means. Are you uh you ready for Christmas?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm getting there, you know. It's it's all about the kids, you know. Got three kids, and I want to make their Christmas pretty great.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Well, that's good. I'm uh I've got five kids and uh they're all adults though. So I, you know, it's a it's a different deal.

SPEAKER_01:

You still gotta send them a well, you gotta send them a present still skid.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh yeah, oh yeah, absolutely. They're just a little different. They're a little different. But speaking of that, and and the family at Christmas, you know, uh it's really important. There's a lot going on at the holidays, uh, with a lot of people around, strangers, strange stuff, trees, decorations. So wanted to ask, you know, how can we keep our pets safe and healthy during the holidays when all this stuff's going on?

SPEAKER_01:

There's a lot to unpack there, right? I mean, we could start like with things like with the Christmas tree, you know. I mean, you know, make sure especially cats and stuff. I've seen cats and dogs um, you know, take down Christmas trees. So, I mean, be careful there. Be careful with cats, especially with like the ribbons and stuff and tinsel and you know, the little hangers you put on the Christmas tree. I've seen cats ingest that and cause some issues, you know. So you kind of just have to secure that zone. It can be difficult, I understand, but the Christmas tree is kind of a thing, right? Some cats have, you know, these eating habits of eating certain things. Um, my own cat, years ago, too, about no, about a year and a half ago, I actually um ate a present, basically like ribbon thing, and he got it impacted and I had to surgically remove it from his intestine. So after you're done unwrapping all the gifts and stuff, if you got a cat like that or dog like that, make sure you get rid of the wrapping pretty quickly. It's crazy that like almost all the holiday plants we think of are toxic, right? Um holly is toxic, mistletoe is toxic, poinsettas are toxic, so to animals. So don't let your your pets ingest any of that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, what about food? I mean, I know there's a lot of festive, you know, there's food around constantly, and you know, w w what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, sometimes I'm busy around the holidays with dietary indiscretion. Um and it's just because of, you know, the chocolates, right? Not good for your dogs. Some of the candies have xylitol, which is very toxic to your pets. Um and then just the the feasting, right? It's a holiday and there's gravy and stuff like that, and then try and you know, let your dogs not countersurf and do things like that where they get into the the food because there's risk of gastroenteritis or even pancreatitis. You don't want the bones. You know, a lot of people do like a rib roast or something for you know Christmas or something, you know, and you got fat content there on top of it. So, you know, you don't want to get into high fatty stuff at all. So just like I said, the risk of pancreatitis is you know not worth it. So no, no, really, you can make, you know, you can go online and look and probably find healthy recipes to make dog treats for your own dogs or cats, you know what I mean, for their holiday if you want to get fested, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, speaking of of that, I always like to try to get my animals, which I'm I'm down to one dog and one cat, but I used to have four dogs and two cats, and always like to give them a Christmas bone or you know, like a chew toy kind of thing. Any thoughts on on that? Like the the chew bones that are that they can eventually eat, I guess, or or chew up. Is that bad, good, bad, or uh bully sticks, that sort of thing?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, well, I just if they can take just small shavings at a time off of it, I'm fine. The bigger the better, probably where they could just take small shavings off of it. They even make these synthetic bones that can do that. Um what I don't like is if they get like those rawhide bones or something like that, and they they get it real soft, and then they'll at the end just try and scarf the whole thing down, right? That's not I don't prefer that. You know, blockages, right? I mean, that's that's the big thing I I worry about, you know. So and choking, you know, that it's and choking, there's choking hazards associated with some of that stuff too.

SPEAKER_02:

True, true. Well, what um any recommendations on what steps families can take to reduce, you know, I'm sure it's stressful for animals just like it is for people when there's a lot of stuff going on, a lot of people, kids screaming, babies crying, whatever. Um, any recommendations on what to do to help reduce that stress?

SPEAKER_01:

That's a great question. I mean, I'm glad you hit you brought that topic up because right, the holidays can be stressful, you know, family visiting kids, kids are allowed. I mean, and coming in and now, and sometimes not all of them interact, you know, they just you know go right for the doggy or kitty cat, and they're like, what's going on? So I recommend, you know, if it's getting too too rowdy, just make sure you have a safe zone for your your dog or cat where they can escape that, you know, a room, a crate. Some dogs feel very comfortable in a crate, you know. You know, your cat may need their own room for the day or something like that, so they don't have to deal with it. It just depends on the cat's personality, you know, just how like people are different. You know, cats are all different too. Some are very extroverted and love the attention. Pet me, pet me, and some are like, whoa, you know, if somebody comes over, they're they're gone, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Very helpful, especially this time of year. Um, and uh one other thing uh to remember is it's been really cold of recent. And uh uh so I guess that's uh worth mentioning as well, as far as in the wintertime, how to, you know, make sure your your your animals are warm, correct? I mean, is there is there a temperature that you say absolutely pet needs to be in the in the in the house or you know have some kind of heat source?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's that's another great topic. Honestly, like 20 years ago, I would I would say that was a huge topic because but now I mean I society is conformed more to in dogs are almost all indoor now, right? They have indoor-outdoor access. Before it wasn't like that. You know, you probably know in the the older days, people just kind of had strictly outdoor dogs. Um, but if you do, you know, they need a they need shelter, right? They need a shelter when it gets too cold where they can go into and stay warm for sure. Um, also on the cold topic, like the meltaway salts and stuff, that stuff, you make sure it's pet friendly and don't let your dog ingest that kind of stuff because it can be toxic. And antifreeze um used to be a big thing, but I think you know, we've gotten enough education and there's the internet now, but you know, we used to back in the day see a lot of antifreeze toxicity, and that's super nasty to the kidneys, but I don't see that really anymore. So I I'm thrilled about that because that's that's pretty deadly.

SPEAKER_02:

So was it you think people just like would drain, drain it out of their car and leave it somewhere where a dog could get to it?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it in their garage or something like that. And the antifreeze is actually kind of sweet tasting um because of the compound in it, but and dogs would get in it and and and drink it, and I mean it'll shut down the kidneys quickly, it crystallizes the kidneys, forms crystals in the kidneys. So I'm really glad I haven't seen that in a long time. So um I don't know if they're making the antifreeze different or people just they're they're aware of it.

SPEAKER_02:

So well, I know there's probably been a lot of a lot of talk about that over the last 20 years because you're right. I have not heard of that either in a long time. Good to know though, good good reminder for folks, and uh very practical. We appreciate uh all your recommendations on practical ways to keep uh keep our pets safe during the holidays, and uh hope you and your family have a good safe one with your pets as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, you too, Skip. Thank you. Have a Merry Christmas.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, you too, Merry Christmas, and uh we'll see you in the next episode.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for joining us on Tale Talk with Dr. O'Hara. If your four-legged family member needs a checkup, a stylish groom, or just a cozy place to stay, give us a call or text at 276-628-9655, or visit myAvingdonvet.com to book your appointment. Abingdon Animal Medical Center, a small town field with state of the art care and plenty of belly rubber.