The Holiday Gift that Keeps on Giving

By: Catherine Angle, DVM
Staff Veterinarian

With the holidays right around the corner you may be tempted to send a lovely gift wrapped box of chocolates, gourmet cheeses or other foods. If so, please add me to your Christmas list! But if you could label the box as containing food or keep out of reach of pets, it will keep our phones a little quieter the week before Christmas and it will allow your gift to be received with the pleasure and happiness that was intended. After all, “Dashing through the snow, Fido vomiting all the way, through the street of snow gagging all the way…” is not how the song goes. Ingesting gourmet cheese, sausage and chocolates can cost hundreds of dollars of therapy at an ER clinic to address. It just doesn’t set the right tone for holiday cheer. Neither does the smell of vomit and carpet cleaner Christmas morning.

On a similar note, pet owners, when you receive one of those delicious baskets and you are wondering will Fluffy really get into it? Could he possible smell the truffles through the wrapping paper? The answer is YES! Since dogs can be trained to smell cancer, your truffles don’t stand a chance! Place the box on the table until gift opening time or you may be spending your Christmas money at the Animal Emergency Room.

We hope you enjoy a safe and healthy holiday season!