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It's almost time to trim the tree, get out the holiday cookbooks and start wrapping presents. As you prepare for the coming festive season, PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. offers these tips to ensure that your pets also have a healthy and happy holiday.

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New decorations and other changes in the home environment pique a pet's curiosity, and many companion animals react by exploring new objects with their mouths. Here are some pointers to ensure that the only thing Fido bites into is a chewy toy meant specifically for him.

Christmas Trees: Pine needles can get lodged in an animal's esophagus, making it painfully prickly for your pet to swallow. Even drinking the water from the Christmas tree base is enough to cause diarrhea, mouth sores, vomiting and loss of appetite.

Deck the Halls: A bunch of mistletoe may tempt a festive kiss, but eating this holiday greenery could cause a drop in blood pressure, as well as vomiting and swollen throat and mouth tissue. Other holiday foliage, including Holly and Poinsettias, contain toxins that could lead to severe stomach problems, as well as skin, mouth and eye irritation. Worse yet, Yew is extremely toxic, and one mouthful could be deadly.

Tinsel and Lights: A flickering flame and shiny decorations intrigue companion animals. When lighting the menorah, advent wreath or decorative candles, keep pets in another room where paws and claws can't reach them. With electrical lights, remember to tape exposed electrical cords to walls or floors to ensure no chewing or tripping. Tinsel and wrapping paper may look like fun toys, but they can cause choking, upset stomach or more serious problems.

Visions of Sugar Plums: Cookies and candies are as much about holiday tradition as a snowy street scene; however, some of them can be dangerous to your pets. For example, chocolate contains a chemical known as theobromine, which can be highly toxic to your four-legged friends.

Winter Wonderland: A blanket of snow may get children excited about Santa's imminent arrival, but it can also pose problems for your pets. Very young or old animals can suffer stress, frostbite and hypothermia when their body temperature drops just a few degrees below normal. The tips of ears, feet and tail are common areas affected.

Antifreeze Alert: The onset of winter often means new antifreeze for the family car, which is a substance that can be especially harmful to the family pet. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which causes rapid and permanent kidney damage to your companion animal if ingested in even small amounts. Finally, the best present you can give to your pets this holiday season is good health and some extra loving attention.

PETCO is a leading specialty retailer of premium pet food and supplies. PETCO offers its customers a complete assortment of pet-related products at competitive prices, with superior levels of customer service at convenient locations. PETCO operates more than 650 neighborhood stores in 43 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading destination for on-line pet food and supplies at www.petco.com. The PETCO Foundation, PETCO's non-profit organization, has raised more than $13 million since inception in 1999. More than 1,600 non-profit grassroots animal welfare organizations nationwide have received support from the Foundation.

For a longer version of this release, please visit www.petco.com.

SOURCE PETCO