Make Holidays Safe for 4-Footed Pals : Pets: Christmas can be a hazardous time for animals. Every year, veterinarians treat dogs and cats suffering from contact with common Yuletide items.

A few years ago, veterinarian Eric Van Nice received a first-hand reminder about how hazardous the Christmas holidays can be for pets.

Van Nice noticed his dog standing near the Christmas tree, shaking strangely. When the veterinarian reached over and touched the quivering animal’s back, he got a rude shock. Literally.

The pooch had chewed through a Christmas light electrical cord and had many volts of electricity coursing through him. He wound up with a nasty burn in his mouth.

A time of joy and celebration for humans, Christmas can be a holiday nightmare for pets. Every year, veterinarians see dogs and cats brought into their clinics suffering from contact with common holiday items, from the Christmas turkey to mistletoe.

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly, but don’t let Fluffy or Spot eat it,” said Mary Obenberger, spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue Foundation in Dana Point, which puts out a list of pet holiday hazards. “Holiday time presents some unique situations which can be hazardous to your pet’s health.”

The most common mistake made by pet owners is putting a turkey carcass into the garbage where Fido can dig it out, veterinarians say.

“I’ve seen a hundred dogs or more get into the turkey and they wind up with terrible diarrhea and abdominal pains” from the fat-laden skin, said Van Nice, who has an office in Mission Viejo.

Turkey and ham bones can also split and chip, lodging in an animal’s throat, stomach or intestinal tract.

Another common food hazard for canine chocoholics is holiday candy. Chocolate contains a caffeine-like chemical known as theobromine, which can be dangerous, particularly for small dogs.

“I’ve seen these little eight-pound poodles come in looking like they’ve had several espressos,” Van Nice said. “Too much chocolate can cause liver damage and seizures in these little guys.”

Other well-known Christmas icons can cause sickness or death in the family pet.

* Pine needles can puncture a dog or cat’s intestinal lining. A particular hazard for cats is tinsel, “which can be like a wire with sharp teeth” in the feline intestinal tract, Van Nice said.

* Preservatives such as aspirin put in Christmas tree water can cause intestinal problems in cats. Pine oils that seep into the water can also harm felines, Van Nice said.

Aspirin isn’t generally toxic for cats, but the standard prescription for felines is about one-eighth of a tablet every three days, Van Nice said.

* Household pets can easily get hurt by knocking over the Christmas tree or stepping onto broken ornaments.

* Electrical burns are a particular hazard for puppies and kittens that like to chew and can’t tell the difference between a rope and an electrical cord. Keep all holiday light cords secured and out of the reach of pets.

One commonly held fallacy is that poinsettias can be fatal to animals.

“That’s kind of overblown,” Van Nice said. “Eating poinsettias just usually gives them an upset stomach. Mistletoe can be very toxic, and holly berries.”

“The holidays can be a really dangerous time for pets,” Obenberger said. “But all people need to do is use a little bit of common sense.”

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Holiday Pet Hazards

Some common “holiday hazards” include:

* Table scraps: Keep away from pets; smaller bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat, stomach and intestinal tract. Fats, gravies and poultry skin can cause severe gastrointestinal upset as well.

* Holiday plants: Holly and mistletoe are extremely poisonous.

* Christmas tree: Make sure your tree is well secured. Anchor tree top to a wall using cord or rope. Preservatives in water can cause intestinal problems for animals, so put mesh around the base. Aspirin in the water is very toxic.

* Pine needles: Check around holiday trees and decorative boughs frequently. Ingested pine needles can puncture your pet’s intestines.

* Sweets: Stomachache is a mild side effect and overindulgence in chocolate can be fatal. Poisoning is caused by theobromine, a caffeine-like substance found in chocolate.

* Electrical cords: Have cords secured and out of the way.

* Ornaments: Hang breakable ornaments and tinsel high on the tree so they are out of reach.

Source: Animal Rescue Foundation of Dana Point Inc.