The CatGenie and Other Automatic Litter Boxes.

I sometimes wonder what my Norwegian grandmother, a strict Lutheran and farmer’s wife from Northern Wisconsin, would say about the pharmaceutical company commercials that are so widespread now. And the ads themselves aren’t even the worse part. There is always a long list of side effects and adverse reactions, in such fine print or read so fast as to be barely intelligible. We are so used to hearing warnings of things like dizziness, fainting, skin rash, hives, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, psychoses, neuroses, suicidal tendencies, and a certain condition lasting longer than four hours, that we hardly bat an eye. She would, I'm sure.

For dogs and cats, the holiday season, including Christmas, also carries a significant risk of side effects and adverse reactions. Some of them can be serious or even life threatening.

Christmas trees and other lighted displays come with novel electrical cords pets are unfamiliar with. Dogs, especially, often investigate things by first smelling then chewing on them. Chewing on an electrical cord, of course, can cause severe electrical burns and electrocution. If you have inquisitive pets, unplug cords when you can’t be monitoring them closely.

If you still put tinsel on the tree, your cat may nibble on it and swallow it. Years ago one of our cats did this, and when the tinsel started coming out the other end, he suddenly found himself with a dry little ball of fecal material hanging loose under his tail. When he ran this thing would bang against his butt, and therefore, he ran a lot, until we caught him and I snipped it off with scissors. You don’t want to pull on something like that because the tinsel inside may cut through the intestinal wall. Snip it off, and "This too shall pass." Tinsel is not too bad but swallowed string can do serious damage. The intestine tends to bunch up on it like a purse string, and may cut through the intestinal wall. The onset of symptoms can be gradual and since strings other than tinsel don’t always show up on X-Rays, it can be hard to diagnose. Think twice about putting tinsel on the tree.

‘Tis the season for chocolate, and chocolate poisoning can be fatal. Cats don’t have much of a sweet tooth but many dogs have strong chocoholic tendencies. If they eat enough, the symptoms are like a massive overdose of caffeine. You may see hyperactivity, rapid breathing, tremors and seizures. Be especially careful with very small dogs and with semi-sweet or baking chocolate.

Chocolate abuse in dogs is more likely to cause garbage can poisoning, rather than chocolate poisoning. So can large amounts of fruitcake, leftover turkey or ham, potatoes and gravy, lutefisk, and other holiday goodies. The resulting vomiting and diarrhea can cause life threatening dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Keep your eye on those leftovers.

If you’re a scrooge with your dog and make him stay outside during these cold nights, keep in mind that hypothermia can be serious, especially with older pets. At least make sure he has a doghouse or someplace he can go to stay dry and out of the wind. And the colder the weather, the more a dog or cat needs to eat to maintain body temperature.

Many of these side effects and adverse reactions may be life-threatening emergencies and it is a lot better to avoid them than to treat them. The benefits are not worth the risks. An emergency examination and veterinary care can run into the hundreds of dollars, and who needs that at this time of year?