Christmas with your Vizslas

Christmas is almost here, everybody is so busy with shopping, decorate and cooking. This is one of the happiest time of the year but remember, lot's of things around the beautiful Christmas Tree is dangerous to your Vizslas.

Looking after your pets is not easier at this time either. Did you know that Chocolate is very poisonous to dogs? Poinsettias is a BIG NO NO! Teach your Vizsla to behave around the Christmas Tree. Be careful not to leave chocolates, raisins at the table, counter where dogs can get it. It is very tempting and they can be killed very fast!

I learned this in an other board. I hope you never needed but good to know in the event your Vizsla eat some sharp object: glass, staples etc.

Please read:

COTTON BALL REMEDY

What do you do if your puppy (or mischievous older dog) gets into your holiday decorations and eats some of the glass ornaments? This potentially lethal mishap can darken even the brightest holiday season.

THE PROCEDURE

BEFORE the holiday go to a pharmacy and buy a box of cotton balls. Be sure that you get COTTON balls...not the cosmetic puffs that are made from man-made fibers. Also, buy a quart of half-and-half coffee cream and put it in the freezer. Should your dog eat glass ornaments.
Defrost the half-and-half and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the cream and feed them to your dog. Dogs under 10 lbs should eat 2 balls which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7. You may feed larger dogs an entire cotton ball at once. Dogs seem to really like these strange treats and eat them readily.
As the cotton works its way through the digestive tract it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be caught and wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the intestines from damage by the glass.
Your dogs stools will be really weird for a few days and you will have to be careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry appearance to the stool.
If either of the latter symptoms appear, you should rush your dog to the vet for a checkup but, in most cases, the dogs will be just fine.
An actual experience: I can personally vouch for the cotton ball treatment. While I was at the vet waiting for him to return from lunch a terrified woman ran in with a litter of puppies who had demolished a wooden crate along with large open staples. The young vet had taken x-rays which did show each of the puppies had swallowed several open staples. He was preparing them for surgery when my wonderful vet came in and said no surgery. I watched him wet several cotton balls, squeeze out the water and pop them down their throats. Within 24 hours every staple was accounted for.
This was a lesson I learned in the mid-1960s and have had to use several times on my brats. I wet the cotton balls and smear on some liverwurst and they bolt it down and ask for more.The cotton always comes out with the object safely embedded. Copyright reserved to Sandy Brock. Permission is hereby granted for any nonprofit reproduction by any person or group Live, Love, Be Happy!

We wish every Vizslas and their owners Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and of course lot's of gifts. I hope all of you will send me a nice Christmas Photo, we are looking forward to see all our brothers and sisters.