Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – WEDnEsDAy, nOVEmbER 22, 2023 What holiday foods are on veterinarians’ naughty and nice lists? Thrive Pet Healthcare shares insights to help pet owners keep their pets safe during the holiday season T hrive Pet Healthcare, a first-of-its-kind veterinary healthcare network with more than 380 locations in 37 states across the United States, is urging pet owners to prioritize the safety of their furry companions during the holiday season. As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s essential to be aware of the potential dangers associated with certain holiday foods. Dr. Anthony Coronado, Thrive Pet Healthcare’s National Director of Emergency Services and Urgent Care, provides valuable insights to help pet owners safeguard their pets this holiday season. Holiday Foods on the Naughty List: Certain holiday foods can pose significant risks to both dogs and cats. “Cats tend to be more discerning with foods than dogs, but because of their smaller size, even when they ingest small amounts of harmful foods, it can result in a trip to the ER,” said Dr. Coronado. Keep the following holiday foods away from pets: • Turkey trimmings: Ensure proper disposal of turkey trimmings, including the trussing string, which might attract curious pets and lead to ingestion, potentially causing BBB STUDY | FROM PAGE 9 between retailers and law enforcement have had success in stopping scammers. One initiative started the process of returning more than $4 million in stolen funds to consumers. However, scammers remain resourceful. How do gift card scams work? Scammers persuade individuals to purchase gift cards by impersonating online sellers, pet breeders, government or sweepstakes officials and others. They frequently change their methods of getting consumers to pay with cards instead of money, making them hard to stop. In most instances, scammers ask people to buy gift cards and send them the bar code and PIN on the back. Gift cards are essentially cash, meaning anyone who has the code can spend the amount on the card. Sometimes scammers ask for a popular brand (Apple Inc., Google, Target Corporation, Walmart, Best Buy), and other times they ask for a general-use card, such as a Visa Vanilla or American health issues. • Turkey skin: Consumption of turkey skin can trigger life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas, resulting in enzyme malfunctions that digest the pancreas. • Meat with bones: Sharp bone fragments in meat can cause mouth, stomach and intestinal injuries, potentially leading to life-threatening infections. • Alcohol: Alcohol poisoning symptoms can appear quickly. The higher the alcohol proof, the higher the risk. Be cautious of alcohol-containing foods like rum-soaked cake and raw bread dough with yeast. In addition, dogs and cats often will investigate and sometimes drink glasses of alcoholic beverages that are left unattended at large gatherings. • Raisins, grapes and currants: Found in various holiday treats like fruit cakes, cookies and breads; ingestion can lead to kidney damage or life-threatening kidney failure. • Chocolate: Baking, semisweet and dark chocolate are most harmful. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both toxic to pets. • Onions, garlic and chives: These are common ingrediExpress gift card. In both cases, scammers want the card number. Some scams involve fraudsters going to stores where gift cards are sold, recording the numbers from the cards and attempting to steal the funds after the cards are loaded. There have also been instances of outright forgery of cards, like one involving a “lab” bust in Canada earlier this year. However, most reports to BBB are the result of fraudsters impersonating sellers, businesses or governmental agencies in order to convince consumers to send them gift cards. Persuading victims that they have an unpaid tax bill, owe fines or have a hacked personal account are all common ruses used as part of gift card scams. Losses from scams involving gift cards tend to be much higher than in most other payment methods, ranking third behind wire transfers and cryptocurrency, according to a 2022 BBB Institute for Market Trust report. Gift cards are treated like cash, which makes stolen funds hard to recover. Last year no consumers reported to BBB Institute that they recovered money sent ents in holiday dishes. Small amounts can lead to severe health complications, including anemia and organ damage. • Artificial sweeteners: Xylitol can take the place of sugar in some desserts but is toxic to dogs even in small amounts and can cause low blood sugar, seizures and liver failure. Holiday foods on the nice list: Dr. Coronado recommends the following safe food options to share with your pets this holiday season: • Unseasoned, cooked turkey (without skin or bones) • Steamed or mashed sweet potatoes (plain) • Canned pumpkin (not pie mix or seeds) • Unseasoned, grilled or canned salmon (no bones) • Steamed, chopped green beans (plain) Recognizing signs of harmful ingestion: Some of the common symptoms that your pet has ingested something harmful include: • Gastrointestinal issues: vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. • Behavioral changes: lethargy, depression and weakness. In severe cases, pets might display elevated heart and respiratory rates, pale gums or in a gift card scam. What are scammers doing with gift cards? While gift cards might seem harder to spend than cash, fraudsters are able to spend stolen gift cards quickly through networks of associates working in both North America and other countries. BBB reviewed court filings and victim reports and talked with experts to track how these scams operate from start to finish. In many cases, gift card fraud involves a complex, multi-national network preying upon vulnerable populations. At least 15 reports to BBB since 2020 involve FBI impersonation, with many other government agencies being used for ruses as well, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security. Another dozen pretended to be from Microsoft Corporation, one of many businesses impersonated in gift card scams. Online shoppers are at high risk for encountering gift card scams, according to BBB data. Technology companies like Apple and Google are popular gift loss of consciousness. Do not attempt to induce vomiting at home as it can be difficult and unsafe. When to seek veterinary care: Pet owners are advised to act promptly if they witness or suspect their pet has ingested something toxic. Call your veterinarian immediately or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Early intervention and decontamination can prevent life-threatening complications. “Most pet emergencies that take place during the holidays involve the ingestion of turkey bones,” said Dr. Coronado. “It could be too late if you wait until your pet shows symptoms. If you plan to take your pet with you when you travel over the holidays, determine ahead of time where you could take your pet if they need immediate veterinary care.” Veterinary care during the holidays: When seeking veterinary attention for your pet over the holidays, Dr. Coronado recommends: • Advance communication: Contact your local veterinary urgent care or emergency hospital ahead of time. Inform them of the nature of your pet’s emergency and your escard sources for scammers because they can purchase pricey items like computers and resell them later. Millions of dollars are lost on these types of scams each year, according to Federal Trade Commission data. BBB recommends state and federal law enforcement agencies continue collaboration with retailers and add additional programs to help consumers recover funds. State regulators should work with federal law enforcement to develop best practices and create a coalition to share best practices and go after international scammers. Stopping gift card scams Experts interviewed by BBB say the instantaneous transfer of funds from one party to another enables fraudsters to act fast, either spending the money or shuffling the money onto a new gift card to obscure their crime. Recently, retailers most affected by gift card scams began partnering with authorities to sniff out the digital trail left behind during gift card purchases to catch scammers in the act. Public education remains the timated arrival time. • Patience: Due to increased holiday emergencies, some hospitals might experience longer wait times. Emotions can run high during an emergency. Be patient with the staff. They are doing their best to accommodate everyone. About Thrive Pet Healthcare: Thrive Pet Healthcare is a leading veterinary service network that uniquely delivers a continuum of care to pet families and services to veterinary hospitals. With an industry-first membership program and over 350 acute, primary and specialty providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare offers personalized, accessible care through every stage of a pet’s life and health. The veterinarian-founded organization provides premier benefits for practice staff while elevating privately held veterinary hospitals with innovative service and technology solutions. By focusing on the needs and aspirations of veterinary care providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare is supporting the well-being of the industry and raising the national bar for veterinary excellence. To learn more about Thrive Pet Healthcare, please visit www. thrivepetcare.com. number one method of deterrence, said Martha Weaver, a member of the board of directors for the Retail Gift Card Association, because alert consumers can often spot a scam before any money changes hands. With most gift card scams involving organized crime outside North America, experts, including Weaver, want consumers equipped with enough knowledge to combat scammers when confronted. “Scams are creating that level of fear or angst or urgency,” she said. Consumers should slow down and even hang up the phone if they fear they are being scammed, no matter what the person on the line is saying to them. In cases where people have sent money to scammers, businesses are continually revising their rules around refunds and crediting consumers. Weaver said victims should keep receipts and any other digital evidence about their purchase, which can be used in the investigation and may lead to future refunds. “Brands are much more willBBB STUDY | SEE PAGE 17
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