Tips to Keep Pets Safe During the Holidays

By Anna Lee

Thanksgiving is not far off, and then Christmas followed by New Year’s Eve. As the holiday season draws closer you need to think about what food items and decorations could possibly cause serious harm to your pets. The following items are bad for your pets not only during the holidays, but every other day of the year too.

Turkey is a favorite food during the holidays. Remember, cooked bones of any type are not good for a dog or a cat due to sharp splinters. People assume turkey bones are ok because they are larger than chicken bones. N0, do not give your dog turkey bones. To err on the over-protective side, I have never given Abby any type of bone.

Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats. In simple terms, your pet can become very sick, and in rare cases may not pull through. Do not ever give them chocolate, not even one small chocolate chip.

Plants: Most of the plants we think of as Christmas plants are beautiful to look at but can be deadly to animals, including poinsettias, holly and mistletoe. If you want to have a beautiful poinsettia on the mantel, that is far enough out of reach for a dog, but remember how high a cat can climb.

Christmas Trees: Make sure your tree is secure and can’t be tipped over. Big dogs have big tails, and one swish could send a tree flying. You can put a nail in the wall behind the tree and use a piece of string to tie the tree. My parents always tied our live trees like that, except one year. That year the tree fell over; it missed the dog but all my mother’s antique ornaments were destroyed. Use unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches of the tree and put your precious glass ornaments higher up to be safe.

If you have a puppy, keep an eye on it around the tree. A puppy will be attracted to the blinking lights and colorful ornaments. Do not use tinsel as cats and dogs can choke on it. Do not add aspirin to the tree water if you use a real tree. Aspirin can be toxic to pets, and they might get to the water reservoir and drink the water.

Electrical Cords: We always seem to use a lot of electric cords for trees and other decorations. A lose electric cord is a play thing to a puppy or kitten, so make sure they are taped to the floor when possible. When you are not at home, leave your decorations turned off. This is a good rule whether you have pets or not.

Welcoming Guests: When your guests arrive, make sure the dog or cat doesn’t escape without your knowledge. A little pup can easily slip out of the house when no one is watching. A cat may get scared with so much activity happening and try to make his escape.

Candles: Never put a burning candle where a dog or cat can reach it. Better yet, if you have pets or young children, you should get the artificial candles that are very popular now. They run on a battery and the flame actually flickers like a real candle. If you prefer a real candle at least put it high on the mantel out of reach.

By following a few holiday safety tips for pets, the parties and festivities will end on a high note!

Read more articles by Anna Lee