As we continue to navigate uncharted waters in our COVID-19 world, some members of your family have almost certainly appreciated having us around the house more – our dogs and cats! But while this ‘new normal’ continues to be a struggle for us as people, let’s not forget it’s also a big change for them too. While they love having us around more, I’m sure more than a few miss their own four legged friends they used to play around with.

Our friends at the AVMA recognize that socializing our dogs is still as important as ever, so they’ve come up with some ideas and tips to help keep your pets active and social, even when we’re doing it from a distance.

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19/socializing-dogs-during-covid-19

Today is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and YAH would like to give a big THANK YOU to all of our local Law Enforcement folks for keeping us safe!

To our Town of Youngsville police, Franklin County Sheriffs and NC State Highway Patrol officers, thank you for keeping us safe and for all that you do for our wonderful community!

From all of us to all of you, wishing you the most blessed and a very Merry Christmas from Youngsville Animal Hospital.

Please note that with the holidays coming up next week that we’ll have some modified clinic hours:

Wednesday Dec 23 – Open All Day, 7:30AM to 5:30PM

Thursday Dec 24 (Christmas Eve) – 7:30AM to 3:00PM

Friday Dec 25 (Christmas Day) – CLOSED

Saturday Dec 26 – CLOSED

New Years Day – CLOSED

PICK SAFE CHRISTMAS PLANTS

Popular decorative plants like holly, mistletoe, and the poinsettia can be poisonous if ingested. English and Asian varieties of the holly plant contain toxic saponins, which can cause serious gastrointestinal distress when eaten. The viscotoxins in mistletoe are nothing to kiss over; eating the leaves or berries of this common Christmas plant can cause stomach upset and a slowed heartbeat.

The poinsettia flower is typically only toxic when ingested in large quantities, so its reputation as the most dangerous Christmas plant is somewhat undeserved. That said, the milky white sap of the poinsettia tends to cause diarrhea, excessive drooling, and vomiting, which can pose a danger to a pet’s health.

Christmas bouquets and floral arrangements that contain lilies are very hazardous to pets, especially cats. All it takes is a few bites of a lily plant to cause potentially fatal kidney failure in felines. Cautious pet owners should probably steer clear of including these beautiful but dangerous plants in their Christmas décor.

BE CAREFUL WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

All the lights and baubles used to adorn your Christmas tree and your home sure are pretty, but they can pose a real threat to your pet. A 7-year-old mixed-breed dog from Southampton, England is lucky to be alive after ingesting a foot-long string of Christmas lights. Veterinarians say Charlie easily could have died from electrocution, internal injuries, or intestinal blockage after enjoying his decorative snack.

“I hadn’t even noticed that the lights had been chewed at this stage,” said owner Sharon Fay, “but it quickly became clear what had happened.”

Luckily, after emergency surgery, Charlie made a full recovery. But some pets aren’t so lucky. Be sure you fasten holiday lights to your tree and place cords out of reach of your curious pet’s mouth. Block access to any loose cords or wires.

As we continue our blogs this week, safety tip #2 is:

BEWARE CHRISTMAS TREE WATER!

Pet owners who bring live pines, spruces, and firs inside for Christmas should make sure the water reservoir inside of the tree stand is not easily accessible to dogs and cats. As the tree drinks water, it can release sometimes-toxic sap into the stand that smells tasty to pets.

Many fresh trees are also preserved with pesticides and fertilizer water additives, including aspirin. Aspirin can be fatal for cats because they lack a necessary protein in their livers to break down the drug. While veterinarians occasionally prescribe aspirin for dogs to treat various conditions, too much can prove deadly. Block access to the tree stand by thoroughly covering it with aluminum foil and a well-wrapped tree skirt.

As everyone gears up for the holidays, we’ll be presenting some tips this week on how to keep your pets safe during the festive days of Christmas.

First up this week –

PET-PROOF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

(Credit to our friends at DogTime.com for the content of this blog: https://dogtime.com/how-to/pet-safety/16897-pet-safety-tips-for-christmas )

Perhaps the epicenter of holiday danger for your pet is the Christmas tree. Failing to pet-proof the “O Tannenbaum” could result in upset stomachs, painful injuries, catastrophic veterinary bills, or even tragedy this Christmas season.

Owners should always observe dogs and cats around the tree at all times. If possible, set up your tree in a room that you can easily close off when you’re not home. Many pet owners also create a barrier using a plastic pen or baby gate so pets can’t access the tree.

Curious canines and felines will want to explore the odd tree that appeared in their living rooms. Dogs and cats are notorious for trying to jump onto—or even into—the tree, which could easily cause it to come crashing to the floor. Make sure you anchor the tree securely to avoid a dangerous tree-tipping disaster. Check your tree stand daily to confirm that the eyebolts are still locking the tree in place. For added security, anchor the tree to your ceiling with a ceiling hook and fishing line.

This coming weekend is always one of the best of the year – the annual Youngsville Christmas weekend!

Friday night the Christmas tree lighting will be held downtown at the Benchmark Community Bank plaza at the corner of US-1A and NC-96. The parade is at 10AM Saturday morning along Main Street (please be mindful that the Town is shutting access off into downtown ~9AM that morning).

Both events are always terrific! The weekend is always about celebrating the season in our community – from the Town Christmas Tree lighting to the parade, it’s always a great time!

We hope you can make it and see you around town this weekend!

What better way to follow up all of those great Black Friday deals with a way to help your local community? This coming Saturday is the 11th annual “Small Business Saturday”. Small businesses are the fabric of our communities. They create jobs, help boost the economy, and enhance local neighborhoods in many ways. This year especially, your support of small businesses is needed more than ever as we navigate the COVID landscape we find ourselves in.

We encourage you that if you have a gift idea or purchase in mind this holiday season, “Think Big – Think Small!” and consider supporting your local small businesses throughout Southern Franklin (@townofyoungsville )and Northern Wake Counties (@TownofWakeForest).

YAH has a number of pet related ideas, so next time you’re in the area stop by and see our selection. #SmallBusinessSaturday