It’s cold in Gillette! Okay, it’s very cold in Gillette! Cold weather and the holidays bring potential dangers to your pet both inside and outdoors, and we want to make sure you’re prepared for it! First things first, it’s good to know that we’re prepared for emergencies!

Our hospital is well equipped to handle even the most urgent medical, diagnostic, or surgical care needs. Our caring and compassionate staff is trained for urgent situations and our state-of-the-art clinic gives us the tools we need to diagnose and treat your pet quickly when every second matters.

Critical care services are available any time while the clinic is open. We also have a doctor on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle any emergency situations that may occur outside of our normal office hours.

When it gets this cold outside, be sure to monitor your pet’s time outside. Extended exposure to below freezing temperatures can cause serious damage to your pet, and of course, make them extremely uncomfortable. Back inside, you have a lot to consider as well.

Warming your home with a fire? Make sure your pets are unable to get too close to it. A wayward tail around a fire can cause serious issues for your pet! Same goes for candles, a simply excited tail wag can knock them over or catch fire on their fur. Be sure to also monitor any chewing of holiday lights or decorations, as they could deliver a potentially deadly shock.

Speaking of decorations, ornaments, tinsel, ribbon, and other holiday items can cause serious issues if they’re chewed or swallowed. Make sure to keep a close eye on your pet, even when the excitement of the holiday has your attention.

Finally, it’s important to keep certain foods and plants far away from your pet. We also recommend referencing the ASPCA Poisonous Plants list.

• If holly or mistletoe are ingested, your pet could suffer gastrointestinal upset. Mistletoe can also cause cardiovascular problems.
• Many varieties of lilies can cause kidney failure in cats.
• Christmas tree water could contain fertilizers and bacteria that can cause nausea, upset stomach, or diarrhea if ingested.
• Chocolate, artificial sweeteners (like xylitol), fatty or spicy foods, alcohol, grapes, and other human foods can, at best, cause an upset stomach, and, at worst, be fatal, if pets consume them. Keep the human food on the human table, and give your pets some special animal-friendly holiday treats instead.
• Human medications should be secured so pets can’t unknowingly get into them.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We wish you a happy and safe holiday season!