COVID-19 may again change things about winter, but cold weather and certain foods remain a health and safety risk for pets. The problem is, many pet owners (especially new pet parents) may not understand the risks, particularly when it comes to holiday safety, seasonal foods, and inquisitive pets.
To save time educating your veterinary clients, download our free Holiday Safety Kit with tools and resources to further client education about holiday safety for pets.
Toxic Foods Top Calls to the Pet Poison Helpline
“As we know, young dogs explore their environment with their mouths,” says Tina Wismer, DVM, in a recent AAHA article examining the spike in pandemic-related pet poisonings. Citing toxic foods as the #2 reason for calls in 2020 to the Pet Poison Helpline, Ahna Brutlag (DVM and Director of Veterinary Services at Pet Poison Helpline) names chocolate as the top reason for food-related calls, followed by products containing xylitol, grapes, and raisins—all associated with seasonal foods and holiday safety.
Holiday Safety Information Is Certainly Out There
To help pet owners with holiday safety, veterinary organizations like the OVMA and AVMA have published numerous online articles about toxic foods and cold weather risks for pets. Such information is naturally of tremendous benefit to pet owners who’ve heard about such risks (or suspect them) and know to search online for more information. Yet pet owners who haven’t heard of toxic foods and cold weather risks for pets won’t know to search for information. Such pet owners tend to only discover information when they encounter holiday safety information posted on social channels or receive information directly from their veterinary practice, either as an email or a client education handout.
To cover your clients in all instances, download our free Holiday Safety Kit with tools and resources to educate your clients about toxic foods and cold weather dangers for pets and how to avoid them.
Available for a limited time, our kit includes:
- Two educational handouts that you can print or email:
- Preparing Your Pets for Winter: Synopsis of a ClientEd Handout
- Holiday Safety Tips for Pet Owners: Synopsis of a ClientEd Handout
- A shareable Holiday Safety infographic to help clients understand the dangers of cold weather, seasonal foods, and other holiday risks for pets
- A pre-written email template for your clients—5 Safety Tips to Keep Your Pet Healthy and Safe This Winter
- Two social media images that you can post on Facebook to further remind clients about the importance of pet safety during winter
