For people, the holidays often bring heaps of joy, cheer, laughter, and full tummies. For pets, they bring food to steal, toys to chew, and things to knock over, which can lead to some pretty untimely and costly vet visits.
To keep the holidays merry and bright for your pets, consider adhering to these 5 safety tips:
- Choose decorations and gifts carefully. That means, if you have a dog in the house, maybe don’t make popcorn garland for your tree. If you’ve got cats in the house, reconsider wrapping gifts in string. Essentially, if you think your decorations and gifts might be attractive to your pets, don’t use them or display them.
- Keep candy & chocolate out of reach. Ingredients in our favourite treats can be toxic to pets. Keep them out of sight and out of reach.
- Avoid giving those post-dinner bones to your pets. It feels like an act of love, we know. But bones easily splinter and cause serious health problems. It’s best to give a pet-friendly treat instead.
- Keep pets away from holiday trees and greens. Pets should not chew on tree limbs or eat fallen needles. Ingested pine needles can cause serious problems and/or obstruction. If you hang ornaments, hang them out of reach.
- Keep a close eye on candles. Never leave a lit candle unattended. Tails and paws and bodies have a way of knocking things over—and knocking over fire never ends well.