By Dr. Sonnya Crawford

Grays Harbor Veterinary Services

As we head into the holiday season, it seems appropriate to review pet toxins that are commonly seen this time of year.

Marijuana is the new pet toxin epidemic in veterinary medicine. In the typical scenario the dog collapses, is wobbly and is leaking urine. Additionally, the dog’s pupils are dilated. Often the owner has no knowledge that their dog has ingested marijuana. It can be edibles, charred remains or even fresh bud that the pet has found. Be sure to be honest with your vet if marijuana ingestion is a possibility.

Chocolate toxicity creates great confusion. I often hear: “My dog ate chocolate, and he didn’t die.” The truth of it is that chocolate is dose-dependent. A large dog is less affected than a small dog, and higher-quality chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate. Baking chocolate is very toxic. Chocolate toxicity causes tremors, seizures and even death at high enough concentrations.

Did you know that macadamia nuts are poisonous to dogs? We see several cases a year, especially around the holidays when families are traveling and bringing back these treats from Hawaii. Macadamia nuts can cause vomiting, ataxia, weakness, fever and depression. Dogs are the only species in which toxicity from macadamia nuts has been reported.

During the holidays, keep human food away from pets. Not only are sweets and baked goods often too rich for pets, the artificial sweetener xylitol — often used in baking — can cause liver failure and death. Turkey and turkey skin, even in small amounts, can cause a life-threatening condition in pets called pancreatitis. Yeast dough can cause painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating. Make sure that any treats you give your pets are specifically formulated for them.

Raisins and grapes are reported to cause kidney failure in some dogs. As few as four grapes were implicated in the death of one 18-pound dog. To date, all reported cases have been in dogs, but there are anecdotal reports of kidney failure in cats and ferrets after ingestion of grapes or raisins.

It is not known why some dogs develop kidney failure while others don’t; research is ongoing. Kidney failure due to grape and raisin ingestion has not been reproduced experimentally, but until we know more it’s best to not feed these items to cats, dogs or ferrets.

Finally: Although these aren’t foods, liquid potpourri and simmering oils can cause serious harm to your cat. Even a few licks can result in severe chemical burns in the mouth, fever, difficulty breathing and tremors. Dogs are not as sensitive.

Birds’ delicate respiratory systems are extremely sensitive to the fumes from liquid potpourri, as well as scented candles and aerosolized essential oils. It’s best not to use these in your home if you have pet birds.

Sonnya Crawford, DVM, is a veterinarian at Grays Harbor Veterinary Services in Montesano. Her pets include two cats, numerous parrots, a giant bunny and saltwater fish. Her special interests are in avian medicine, veterinary dermatology and dentistry. Reach her at drsonnya@gmail.com.