Safety For Your Pet This Holiday Season

Is Safety That Important?

When we think of the holidays we aren’t always focused on safety.  This doesn’t mean that we

shouldn’t be, especially if we have pets.  Holiday safety is very important and something that if overlooked can put a real damper on your holiday season.

It Sparkles and Shines

Safety with pets around the holidays can be simple and can include suggestions that are easy to implement.  Tinsel, garland, ribbon on packages or yarn are so inviting for cats, kittens and puppies.  These twisty, toy-like objects are begging to be chewed and eaten.  They move and sound like many dog and cat toys that are available and are easily confused for toys.  They all present the problem of having the potential to cause an intestinal blockage if ingested. Since pets don’t think about safety, we have to.

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is so beautiful with lights and your favorite ornaments!  Cats see a TREE, not your Christmas tree with your beautiful decorations.  Cats want to climb that tree.  This can often bring the tree and your favorite ornaments crashing to the ground.  Solution:  securely anchor your tree if your cat likes to climb the tree.  If you have a new cat this holiday season, leave your tree up for a day or so before you begin decorating to see how your new feline friend reacts.

Pets also like to drink the water from the base if you have a real tree.  Keep them from doing this by covering it in some way.  This water can contain chemicals or it can simply be stagnant water that contains bacteria which could cause some gastrointestinal upset.

To Chew or Not To Chew?

Keep cords and lights organized and away from curious paws and mouths.  Cats and dogs enjoy chewing and sometimes they like chewing cords.  When you are thinking holiday safety, this is a big one.  Pets can get electrocuted when chewing cords which can cause burns to the mouth or face and can interfere with the heart’s rhythm.

Caution with Candles

Use caution with candles as pets can unintentionally knock them over which could lead to a fire.  Pets could also get burned by an unattended candle flame.

Safety with Eating Too?

We love to eat holiday sweets but they are not good for our furry friends.  One of the biggest holiday safety faux pas is allowing your pet to eat human food as a treat.  This is called a dietary indiscretion and can cause anything from vomiting and diarrhea to pancreatitis or HGE.  In particular, chocolate and any food containing xylitol are dangerous.

The solution is to make your pet a nice homemade treat.  We have recipe for cat treats and one for dog treats on our website.  They won’t know the difference and you get to give your pet a nice homemade treat for Christmas without ignoring holiday safety.

Let the Countdown Begin!

Don’t forget about New Year’s Eve!  If you are having a party, remind your guests to not leave alcoholic beverages within reach of pets.

Alcohol and pets don’t mix and your pet can feel pretty bad if they do.  Pets can become nauseated, lethargic or if they drink enough they could get alcohol poisoning.  Alcohol poisoning can cause your pet to have muscle tremors, seizures or to lose consciousness.

The other big New Year’s Eve occurrence is fireworks.  Whether you love them or hate them they are going to happen.  If your pet is scared of fireworks it makes the whole evening a pretty miserable.  Remember that their fear is real.  We cannot explain to them that the noise they hear is not going to hurt them.  The best thing we can do is to ask your veterinarian what the best treatment would be for your pet.

There are many choices now that range from all-natural to prescription strength and there is no reason to let your pet suffer when these options are available.

Remember that holiday safety is important and can be easy to practice, especially now that you know!