YOUR LOCAL INSURED & DBS CHECKED PET SITTING SERVICE
Arsenal Pet Sitting
86 Kentlea Road
London
SE28 0JZ
Tel. 020 8855 6945
Some of our customer reviews
Christmas Trees
The oils found in fir, pine and spruce trees can irritate a cat’s mouth and intestines often causing drooling
and vomiting. If ingested, the oils found in many Christmas trees may also cause damage to your cat’s
nervous system; this can result in seizures, loss of appetite,
abdominal pain, and depression.
As well as the actual tree, the water can also be toxic to pets, especially if it contains fertilizer, bacteria and
mould, which will accumulate in the water over time. Keep the water bowl at the bottom cleaned and put
in fresh water daily, if possible, cover it so pets don’t have access to try drinking it. Tree Skirts that cover the
bottom are often good for this.
The needles themselves are also a real danger, as they can cause bowel obstructions or perforate the
intestines of pets if they try to eat them and can also pierce pads on their
paws.
Let’s not forget how cat’s love to climb that Christmas tree!, make sure
you have a good solid base or try fixing it to a wall to avoid having to
rebuild it again and again or worse, your little friends getting injured when
it falls.
Even if you have an artificial tree, remember even these can be an issue if
the plastic from the branches is ingested.
When choosing ornaments, the real glass ones look lovely but firstly how
long will they last? broken glass balls can be a real hazard to pets so maybe look for the shatterproof ones
and avoid putting any decorations near the very bottom of the tree right in paws length and so temptation
of the little guys.
The lights are also a common cause of accidents with pets, small pieces of decoration on some lights can
be ingested and let’s not forget lights are electric, it’s always best to invest in a set of safer low voltage LED
lights. Secure the mains plugs and extension leads away safely in a box where little paws and sharp teeth
can’t get at anything mains voltage.
When choosing the decorations, think about your pets, things like tinsel are just so tempting to a cat but
unfortunately the small shreds of plastic are also bad news if swallowed.
We get some empty boxes and wrap them up and put them under the tree straight away and put them
back once we take away the real presents to give to people so there is always something under the tree to
stop our cats getting under there. We also fix our tree to the wall or radiator with a piece of wire, this has
stopped the practise of having to sit and re-decorate the tree, sometimes at 3am after one of our five cats
has decided to climb it and knock it over.
Christmas Plants
Christmas also is a time for Christmas plants and flowers, many of these are harmful to pets so take care
firstly what you buy and where you put them so the little ones can’t get their paws on them.
PET CARE DURING THE HOLIDAYS
As we approach the holiday season and the fun begins, let’s not forget
that the things we associate with Christmas and enjoy might not be so
pet friendly, nobody wants to be trying to find an emergency vet over the
holidays and paying Christmas out of hours fee’s, so we have produced a
list of things to look out for to help keep your little friends safe and
enjoying Christmas as much as you.
Christmas Cactus
Ingestion of any part of a
Christmas cactus, also known
as Schlumbergera truncata,
can result in vomiting,
lethargy, anorexia, and
diarrhoea
Mistletoe
Misletoe can cause vomiting or
diarrhoea, low blood pressure
and difficulty breathing, or a
low heart rate.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias are usually only
slightly toxic to cats. But still,
their sap can irritate your cat’s
mouth and stomach and may
cause vomiting so should be
avoided.
Holly
Toxins like methylxanthines,
saponins, and cyanogen are
found in holly, which can cause
vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea,
and lethargy in cats.
Amaryllis
The red variety is popular but
not liked by cat’s stomachs.
Ingesting the leaves usually
results in drooling, vomiting &
diarrhoea, cats eating the
bulbs can experience tremors
& seizures, weakness, low blood
pressure or even have trouble
walking. If a cat consumes a
large amount, immediate
treatment is required.
Hemerocallis and Liliiums
These troublesome species
include most types of lilies.
Within a few hours of eating
the leaves or pollen, your cat
will start to vomit, acute kidney
failure can develop within 24
hours.
Snow Globes
Snow globes have been part of Christmas forever, kida love to play with them but sadly
they often contain Ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in anti-freeze, it is sweet
tasting and so attractive to pets to lick, sadly it is also deadly poisionous to them. If
ingested you should immediatly get them to a vet for treatment.
Christmas Food
Oh, how we love nothing more than to indulge in lots of food over Christmas but let’s please not forget that
many of the foods we like, although may taste great to our little pets, they often can cause issues with their
more sensitive stomachs.
Chocolate
Who does not love chocolate at Christmas? but let’s remember the chemical theobromine found in
chocolate is very poisonous to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the higher the levels of theobromine found in
it. Small amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, while large amounts can cause seizures, heart
problems and in worst cases, even death.
White chocolate
Is highly unlikely to cause theobromine toxicity as it contains much
smaller amounts than dark chocolate, it does, however, still have high
levels of fat & sugar which, if eaten in large quantities, can cause stomach
upsets. It’s best to keep all chocolate out of reach of your pets.
Grapes & Raisins
These fruits are a common pet hazard during the holidays. Candied
raisins found in fruit cake, candy-covered raisins or grapes could be bad
news for your pet. Just a few grapes could cause kidney failure in your pup,
so keep these away from your pet at all costs and like with children these can
also
be
a choking hazard. Don’t forget this will include food items that contain dried fruits such as Christmas
pudding and mince pies.
Bones
It can be tempting to give your dog a bone from the meat you’re cooking.
Unfortunately, most cooked, and uncooked bones are dangerous for dogs to eat. They
can easily break and splinter, leading to an array of problems for your furry friend.
Including broken teeth, gastrointestinal blockage, constipation, and Peritonitis.
Artificial sweeteners
Xylitol a sugar-free sweetener is found in many of the sweets we consume over Christmas, as well as
chewing gum, mouthwashes, toothpastes, and supplements. It is poisonous to dogs and, although the
amounts in different products vary, even one to two pieces of chewing gum can cause toxic effects in a
small dog. It can induce the release of insulin in the body, resulting in low blood sugar and sometimes liver
damage. Signs of poisoning can be rapid or delayed, and include vomiting, lethargy, convulsions, and
comas. The prognosis is good if the low blood sugar is treated quickly.
Heather
Glad
shes
having
a
stress
free
time
at
home with you both.
Thanks for the photos, the girls love them.