BATON ROUGE, La., Dec. 9, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jefferson Animal Hospital is working to keep pets safe over the holidays. The vet hospital is educating pet owners about common health and safety hazards during the December holiday season. According to veterinarian Dr. Sam Haase, Jefferson Animal Hospital sees an increase in accidental poisonings and other health emergencies over the holidays. In the event of an animal emergency, urgent care is available during regular hours; no appointment is required. The animal vet hospital also provides pet wellness care and holiday pet boarding.
Baton Rouge veterinarians Dr. Sam Haase and Dr. Frederic Michaelson are working to keep pets safe this holiday season by educating pet owners about common holiday health hazards.
"Every December, our vet hospital sees an increase in animal emergency cases," said Dr. Michaelson. "This year, we are working closely with pet owners to prevent these emergencies before they happen. This is part of our commitment to proactive pet wellness care."
According to the veterinarians, accidental poisoning is the most common holiday health emergency. Accidental poisoning can be caused by the consumption of chocolate holiday desserts, onions in Thanksgiving stuffing, antifreeze spills in the garage, and holiday plants like poinsettias.
"The key to preventing accidental poisoning is to be vigilant," said Dr. Michaelson. "Be careful not to drop food on the floor while preparing, cooking or serving it. For example, just one ounce of baker's chocolate can cause a serious and potentially fatal reaction in dogs."
Christmas trees can also pose a safety threat. Pets that chew on holiday lights can be electrocuted. Eating dried pine needles can lead to a punctured intestine. Pets may also drink water out of the Christmas tree stand, which can make a pet sick. Dr. Haase recommends using a tree skirt to cover the stand, which will discourage liquid consumption.
"Dried pine needles are very sharp," said Dr. Haase. "When trees start dropping needles, pet owners need to vacuum these up each day to prevent pets from accidentally swallowing one."
In the event of an animal emergency, the animal vet hospital provides emergency pet care during regular hours. No appointment is necessary. The veterinarians are also reminding pet owners that hosting a holiday party or out of town guests can cause pets to experience stress and anxiety.
"If pets are nervous around large groups of people, the best choice may be a brief overnight boarding stay to avoid the party noise," said Dr. Haase. "This also reduces the risk that partygoers may feed a pet something unsafe, or that a pet might escape during all the excitement."
The animal hospital in Baton Rouge provides holiday pet boarding, as well as pet wellness care and pet surgery.
Pet owners who wish to learn more about these services may do so by visiting http://jahvet.com, or can find them on Facebook.