11/14/2021
As we approach the holidays, now is a good time to consider how your decorations, schedule changes, and activities could affect your smallest pets. Here are a few things to keep in mind that will help your small mammals get through the holidays safe and sound:
1) Drafts. 'Tis the season for cold temperatures, and some small mammals are very sensitive to exposure to drafts. Avoid having cages near drafty windows or doors that open to the outside of the home. Species especially sensitive to cold temperatures include rats (especially those with underlying murine respiratory disease complex) and hedgehogs (who should have heat support on their cages at all times, but especially in the winter).
2) Weird plants. We bring all sorts of different plants into our homes over the holidays. Christmas trees, poinsettias, mistletoe, and potted plants that spend the summers outdoors all enter our living spaces in the winter. Most of the common decorative winter plants are not toxic to small mammals per se (even poinsettias.... they really aren't that bad, even for cats and dogs), but ingestion of any novel plants has the potential to throw off the delicate GI microflora that keeps gut function nice and normal. Pine needles can injure the soft tissues inside the mouth. Christmas trees may be sprayed with flame retardants or other chemicals; choosing an organic tree helps reduce the risk of chemical exposure, but ideally you should prevent your pet from chewing on the tree altogether.
3) Sweets! The number of sweet treats in our homes increases exponentially over the holidays, and so to do the opportunities for our pocket pets to ingest them. Whether unintentionally (the bunny finding and digging into the box of chocolates wrapped under the tree) or intentionally (the well-meaning guest giving a bite of cookie to a begging rat), refined sweets are a common trigger for GI stasis. Ingestion of small amounts of sweets is usually safe, but it's ideal to have some GI support such as probiotics, Oxbow's digestive support treats, or Critical Care on hand just in case. If your pet has ingested a large amount of sweet foods, it's best to call your vet for guidance. And of course, make sure you know which emergency vet you should call if your pet gets into trouble outside of your veterinarian's regular business hours.
4) Salt dough ornaments. I've seen more awareness of the toxicity of salt dough for cats and dogs in the past few years, but I would expect salt dough to be equally toxic to rabbits or other small mammals. Patson and Sladky (full citation at the end of this post) wrote a case report of a rabbit with sodium toxicity after a Himalayan salt lamp was added to his cage. Presenting signs were primarily neurologic (ataxia, rolling, head tilt, abnormal mentation), which is typical for what we know occurs with sodium toxicity in dogs and cats. I would use caution having salt dough ornaments in reach of any small mammals.
5) Smelly things. Scented candles, essential oil diffusers, and Glade plug-ins can be irritating to the respiratory tracts of small mammals. Remember that their sense of smell is significantly more sensitive than ours! Keep these scented decorations to areas of the house less commonly frequented by your pocket pets.
6) Clothing. Shirts, coats, and costumes are darling for a quick photo op if you have a tolerant pocket pet, but never leave clothing on them for long periods of time. Ingestion of cloth or yarn can cause GI upset or obstruction, and pets who feel trapped in clothing can panic and injure themselves trying to escape.
7) Christmas light cords, ribbons, and other novelties. Many pocket pets, especially ferrets, are especially attracted to novelty. The appearance of lots of new items is great fun to pocket pets, but take care to continue pet-proofing any areas your pets have access to. It's easy to forget about wrapping cords from decorations that are only temporary, especially if it's been a long time since you originally pet-proofed your home. But know that your pets will find any places you forgot to pet-proof really quickly!
I hope this is helpful! Are there any other holiday hazards that I forgot to mention?
Reference:
Courtney Patson, Kurt K. Sladky,
Sodium intoxication in a domestic rabbit,
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine,
Volume 35,
2020,
Pages 114-116,
ISSN 1557-5063,
https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2020.09.005.
