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Salt Christmas Ornaments Dangerous to Pets
Posted on Dec 7, 2016By: Amanda Prischak
The day after Thanksgiving is a popular time to set up and decorate Christmas trees. In previous posts, we talked about how to choose a Christmas tree and how to care for a Christmas tree. Now, we have advice about a popular ornament that pet owners will want to avoid.
Salt Christmas ornaments are made by mixing equal parts of flour and salt with water. This mixture is then shaped and then baked. For some reason, many pets enjoy nibbling on salt Christmas ornaments.
Last year, the American Kennel Club shared the story of a dog named Lexi who died after eating a salt Christmas ornament. Ingesting a salt Christmas ornament can be fatal to a pet because the high amount of salt can lead to salt toxicosis.
Symptoms of this dangerous condition in pets include vomiting, diarrhea and unstable walking. Salt toxicosis can lead to seizures, comas and even death in pets.
For this reason, pet owners are strongly advised to avoid displaying these ornaments in the home. Some pet owners may choose to hang them higher on the tree, but it’s not worth the risk if one were to fall on the floor.
The American Kennel Club reminds pet owners to immediately contact their veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 if their pet has any of the symptoms describes above.
Wondering about other ways to keep your furry friend safe around the holidays? Then check out the list of holiday pet safety tips from Pet MD.