North Pole Nightmare Before Christmas

Naughty Canine Eats Santa's Head

NORTH POLE, Alaska, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Puppies will find and eat anything, even at the North Pole. Few, however, make a direct assault on the big guy himself.

Last December, Jacob Harvison had just finished dinner when his grandmother gave him an early holiday gift. Little did this resident of North Pole, Alaska, know that the bag of Christmas sweets would lead to a call to Pet Poison Helpline.

"We had just finished dinner, and my grandma gave us a bunch of candy," Harvison explained. "I had to run out for a few minutes, so I left the bag on my bed. While I was gone, my dog Luna was able to break out of her cage and get into the candy. There were wrappers everywhere. She ate an entire package of SpongeBob Giant Krabby Patties Holiday Sliders gummy candy." Perhaps most egregious of all for a dog who lives in North Pole, Luna also ate the head off of a chocolate Santa.

When Harvison saw the mutilated figure, he mused "It's almost Christmas, and you just bit Santa's head off."

Harvison knew that several of the items in the candy could be potentially dangerous for Luna to ingest, so he called his local veterinary clinic. They recommended he call Pet Poison Helpline. There are less than 100 veterinary toxicologists in the U.S., so hospitals frequently refer clients to Pet Poison Helpline, who can determine if the exposure requires treatment at the clinic. If so, the Pet Poison Helpline and veterinary hospital teams work together on a treatment plan.

"The holiday season is the busiest time of year at Pet Poison Helpline," said Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. "We receive more calls involving chocolate than any other potential toxin, though it isn't usually in the shape of Santa Claus."

The toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline consulted with Harvison to determine what items Luna may have consumed, and in what quantity. Chocolate contains  methylxanthines, particularly theobromine and caffeine, that if ingested in toxic amounts can result in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, elevated heart rate, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and possibly even death. Dogs make up 95% of the company's chocolate calls, as cats are usually too discriminating to eat large amounts of chocolate.

Another concern was whether Luna consumed any chocolate products that contain other toxic materials, such as macadamia nuts, raisins, coffee beans or xylitol. Fortunately, none of those items were found in her list of stolen goodies.

"Thinking of a dog eating SpongeBob Giant Krabby Patties Holiday Sliders may be amusing, but it can still cause significant concerns. While the specific ingredients in these gummy treats were not a toxic concern, ingesting a large number of gummy candies can create a fluid shift into the gastrointestinal tract which can then lead to electrolyte abnormalities such as hypernatremia. In Luna's case, she didn't consume any items in enough quantity to require her to visit an emergency hospital. We advised to keep Luna at home, and explained what symptoms he needed to watch for, and to call us back with any further issues or concerns."

"Calling Pet Poison Helpline really gave me peace of mind knowing Luna was going to be ok," Harvison said. "It also saved me the time, trauma to Luna and expense of taking her into the emergency room."

Asked if he had any recommendations for other people with curious pets, Harvison recommended consistency.

"Always check your dog's kennel when leaving the house, even for a few minutes," Harvison suggested. "If they can get out, things can happen that quickly." If you don't keep your pet in a kennel, check to ensure their surroundings are safe and nothing dangerous or toxic is within reach.

Pet Poison Helpline created Toxin Tails to educate the veterinary community and pet lovers on the many types of poisoning dangers facing pets, both in and out of the home. All the pets highlighted in Toxin Tails have been successfully treated for the poisoning and fully recovered.

About Pet Poison Helpline
Pet Poison Helpline^®, your trusted source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per incident and subscription service options are available. We are an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Our veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline's fee of $85 per incident includes follow-up consultations for the duration of the case. The company also offers pethelpline^(SM) and pethelplinePRO^(SM) subscription services directly to pet lovers. Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680. Additional information can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Contact: Curtis Steinhoff
Pet Poison Helpline^®
(602) 300-8466
[email protected] 

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SOURCE Pet Poison Helpline