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Lucky was a hip, 9-year old red and white Basenji who wrote advice to the "doglorn" columns for seven years. His columns were printed in several newsletters and as a regular column in the Northeast Canine Companion monthly magazine. Lucky owned Betsy Polgase until his death from lymphoma. This is his last column. Yo, ho, ho - don't eat the mistletoe!.....Or the poinsettia plant, or Mom's Philodendron, or Bittersweet, or Aloe Vera, Chrysanthemums, Christmas Roses, Daffodils, Delphinium, Dieffenbachia, English (or any other) Ivy, Holly berries, Mushrooms, Narcissus, Orchids, Ornamental peppers, or Star of Bethlehem. They are all toxic according to a Dog World magazine article, and they can make you very sick, and some can take you right off this planet. Holidays are virtual booby traps for us dogs. If your folks are big on Christmas trees, watch the tinsel! They are making it very strong and sharp-edged these days, and one spaghetti-like schlurp of a piece of that stuff, and your intestines can begin to look like a pretzel. You might get some unexpected embroidery work on you tummy-and Mom or Dad could be saddled with VERY expensive vet bills Things that go "crunch" on trees are not too swift, either. One munched-up ornament could send you packing your jammies to the vet, too, and I won't even mention what would happen to you if you crunched up a live bulb from the string of lights. It's pretty grim. And please-the tree is not your private place to go potty! Watch you manners. If you feel an uncontrollable urge to christen the branches, have Mom put an x-pen around the tree. Holidays are a time of stress. Don't you believe it is all fun and games. Mom and Dad are cooking, cleaning, buying stuff, and sending out cards to folks they don't see all year (and may not really care to see!) They are in MEGA-STRESS! Try not to add to it, you might find yourself in the ranks of the homeless. I kid you not--holiday time is the biggest time for folks to throw us out! Ask the rescue/adoptions folks. They may not give you as much attention as you need, and they may yell at you more. On top of that, your darling sister or cousin may be ready to drop a little bundle of squirming delights around holiday time, too. MORE STRESS for everyone. Try pooping on the rug after Mom has been up all night helping with whelping--believe me, it doesn't get you the attention you desire! So you figure you can at least console yourself with a little turkey leg or some leftover stuffing. WRONG! They've got that booby-trapped, too. You can't chew the turkey leg, because it's full of splintery bones (see "trip to vet" above.) You can't eat much of the stuffing because it has lots of onions in it (bad for the "Heinz bodies" of the blood, so they say). Even a nip of chocolate has a thing called "theobromine" in it, and enough of it can do you in. One last warning-don't chew up any bottle which says "Antifreeze" on it, and don't nosh on the mouse bait. More very bad "uglies" which can take you off the planet in a truly nasty way. So, folks, it's survival time. Hang in there. Try to be goof. Eat only your dog food. After holidays they'll be sitting around trying to figure out what to do next, and there you can be with a nose under the hand or a way of the tail-or even your leash in your mouth. They'll look at you and realize, "Gosh, I haven't really been paying much attention to you lately, have I? Here-let's give the ears a little "scritch." Heavenly! Article copyright © 2001 by Betsy Polgase. |