假日季别让宠物碰这些东西：兽医协会点名巧克力、木糖醇和百合花
感恩节、圣诞节临近，家里多了美食、装饰和客人。美国兽医协会（AVMA）提醒，热闹背后藏着不少宠物风险：巧克力、含代糖木糖醇的烘焙食品、餐桌残食，以及百合、冬青、槲寄生等应季植物，都可能让宠物中毒或受伤；金属丝、蜡烛、电线和圣诞树本身，也可能在宠物好奇扑咬时造成伤害。
协会会长迈克尔·贝利（Michael Q. Bailey）说，给宠物最好的节日礼物是健康与安全：把应季危险品放到宠物够不着的地方，给宠物留一个远离喧闹的安静空间，并提前准备好应急方案。协会同时提醒，不要把活体宠物当节日惊喜送人，养宠物是长期的时间、精力和花费投入，决定不该冲动做出，也不应瞒着收礼人；更好的做法是送项圈、玩具或礼品卡，日后让未来的主人亲自参与挑选。
如果想给自家宠物送礼，协会建议选实用的健康礼物：一次兽医健康检查、能运动益智的玩具、宠物专用营养零食、更新寄生虫预防、宠物保险，以及植入芯片或更新芯片信息。贝利说，一枚芯片看似简单，却可能在宠物走失时成为救命的礼物，帮助一家人重新团聚。（来源：美国兽医协会）
Keep These Holiday Hazards Away From Pets: Veterinarians Name Chocolate, Xylitol and Lilies
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, homes fill with rich food, decorations and guests. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) warns that the festivities hide real risks for pets: chocolate, baked goods containing the sugar substitute xylitol, table scraps, and seasonal plants such as lilies, holly and mistletoe can poison or injure animals, while tinsel, candles, electrical cords and Christmas trees can also hurt a curious pet.
Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president of the AVMA, says the best gift a pet can receive this holiday season is good health and safety: keep seasonal hazards out of reach, provide a quiet space away from the hustle and bustle, and have emergency plans in place. The association also cautions against surprising someone with a live pet as a holiday gift, saying pets are long-term commitments of time, planning, money and emotion, and the decision should never be made impulsively or without the recipient's foreknowledge; a collar, toy or gift certificate, with the future owner involved in choosing the pet later, is a better option.
For your own pets, the AVMA suggests practical, healthy gifts: a veterinary wellness exam, toys that encourage exercise and mental stimulation, nutritional treats made for pets, updated parasite prevention, pet insurance, and a microchip or updated chip information. Bailey notes that even something as simple as a microchip can be a lifesaving gift if a pet is ever lost. (Source: American Veterinary Medical Association)
来源：美国兽医协会
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图片来源：一只猫扑向圣诞树（Jennifer C. 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0） / Image: 一只猫扑向圣诞树, by Jennifer C., Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
