HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

From munching on colorful holiday light bulbs to ingesting chocolate treats intended for human consumption, pets are exposed to a variety of dangerous objects during the holiday season. In 2014, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI, a Nationwide Insurance company) policyholders spent more than $27 million on medical conditions commonly associated with the holidays. With winter festivities upon us, Nationwide sorted through its database of more than 550,000 insured pets to determine the most common holiday season related injuries and their average costs for treatment:
INJURY

Tinsel or Ribbon Ingestion (Intestinal Foreign Body)

Raisin or Nut Toxicity

Electrical Shock from Holiday Lights

Rosemary or Mistletoe Toxicity

Alcohol Toxicity

Chocolate Toxicity

Laceration from Ornaments
AVERAGE COST

$1,740

$649

$607

$527

$525

$382

$329

Dangerous Ingestions
The holiday season increases the opportunity for pets to get their paws on harmful foods, drinks and decorations. The most common toxic treats that Nationwide insured pets ingested last holiday season were chocolates, nuts and raisins. In fact, 21 percent of all Nationwide pet insurance claims for chocolate toxicity were received in the month of December.

Some pets prefer to munch on non-digestible holiday items including tinsel, ribbon, gift wrap and ornaments. Ingestion of such items can lead to surgery for an intestinal foreign body, which is the most expensive medical condition associated on the holiday list with an average cost of $1,740 per pet.

If a pet consumes a toxic food or a foreign body, he or she should be taken to a veterinary hospital immediately. In preparation, pet lovers should locate the nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital prior to any holiday celebration.

Information from Veterinary Pet Insurance Dec. 7, 2015