VALDOSTA — Pet owners may want to think about their animal’s safety when they put out decorations and food during the holiday season.

Dr. Mike Delaney, a veterinarian with Azalea City Animal Hospital, said that tinsel can be a major problem for animals, especially cats.

Some cats will try to eat tinsel and get it caught under their tongue, Delaney said. The cat’s intestines try to push it down during digestion, and the tinsel cuts through their intestinal walls.

Delaney said carpet and string can also have the same effect.

Dr. Jeff Creamer, a veterinarian with Baytree Road Veterinarian Hospital, said he does not even put tinsel on his tree at home anymore because it is so dangerous.

Pet owners need to keep Christmas tree ornaments out of the reach of their pets. Creamer said he sees one or two pets every holiday season that have swallowed pieces of an ornament.

Also, Creamer said that pet owners need to make sure their pets are not chewing on Christmas tree light cords.

According to www.petplace.com, holly, mistletoe and amaryllis may also cause pets a lot of problems.

All three plants can cause intense vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Web site. Amaryllis can also cause tremors and drooling if enough is consumed, and mistletoe can cause difficulty in breathing, a slowed heart rate, collapse and even death if enough is ingested.

According to the Web site, poinsettias can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach and sometimes vomiting, but they are overrated as toxic plants.

Delaney said that lilies are also toxic to animals and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Creamer said that most of these plants will only cause vomiting and diarrhea, but it really depends on how much of a plant that a pet consumes.

He said it is not too bad if a cat only takes a few bites out of a poinsettia, but there may be a problem if a cat eats an entire poinsettia.

Pets should be kept on their normal diets during the holidays, Delaney said.

“If I had my way, (dogs) wouldn’t eat anything but dog food,” Delaney said. “It’s a lot like people. Any food has the potential to upset their stomachs.”

Pet owners should also refrain from feeding their dogs any sugarless candy or sugarless gum, according to a press release from Dana Farbman, certified veterinarian technician and senior manager of client and professional relations for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center.

Xylitol, a sugar-alcohol sweetener found in many sugarless products, can cause dogs to develop a sudden drop in blood sugar, which can cause weakness, sluggishness, loss of coordination, collapse and seizures, according to Farbman.

Delaney said that pet owners should also keep any kind of chocolate away from their animals because it has the potential to be poisonous.

Farbman said that the less sweet chocolate is, the more toxic it could be. A 10-pound dog can show symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, increased thirst, increased urination and increased heart rate just by ingesting one-fourth of an ounce of baking chocolate.

Farbman also said pet owners should not allow their pets to drink alcohol. Pets who drink alcohol can become sick and may go into a coma that could result in death from respiratory failure.

Pets also should not drink Christmas tree water, Farbman said. Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers that can upset a pet’s stomach. Also, stagnant tree water may contain bacteria that can cause vomiting. Delaney said that many Christmas trees are spray painted green, and the toxins from the spray paint could get into the water.