As the holidays draw near, everyone is getting excited to wrap up presents and enjoy the festivities. Many activities happen during the holidays that may scare your pet or potentially harm them if you are not careful. As a responsible pet owner, you need to make sure you know how to keep your pets safe this year.
Keeping Your Pet Safe From Holiday Dangers
1 - Food
There is no shortage of food during the holidays. Delicious dishes line the table, ready to be eaten by family members who come and go as the season progresses. Although all that food may be great for us, there may be some that may be lethal to our furry friends. When we are not looking, our pets may try to sample the many appetizing delicacies that are on the table. Keep in mind that animals, especially our cats and dogs, cannot eat some of the things that we can.
Chocolate is one thing that seems to be abundant during the holidays—boxed chocolate, chocolate-covered raisins or nuts, chocolate everything! You need to make sure that you don't leave any bits of chocolate lying around for your dog to gain access to. If you didn't already know, chocolate is toxic for dogs. Even ingesting a small amount can be fatal for them.
Also, fatty food can cause pancreatitis in small dog breeds, so they shouldn't be allowed to have any ham or rich, fatty meats. Table scraps, such as bones, should also be kept away from your small dogs and cats. Although their teeth can usually cut through bone, table scraps with small and pointy bones should not be given to them. If ingested, these tiny bones may potentially cause digestive problems for your pet in the long run.
2 - Festive Flowers And Plants
Many people choose to give flowers as gifts to their loved ones during the holidays. Bouquets that have lilies in them should be kept away from your cats. These flowers contain pollen that can trigger acute kidney failure in cats. Dogs are not as affected, but you can keep them away from flowers just to be sure.
Mistletoe should also be hung in places where your cats and dogs cannot reach. Although American mistletoe is practically harmless, the European variety is not. Pets may chew on these plants and get poisoned.
3 - Dangerous Decorations
Aside from mistletoe, other decorations can be dangerous for our pets. If you have cats in your home, you should avoid hanging tinsel. These small, thin strands may be ingested and will cause all sorts of trouble in your pet's digestive tract.
4 - Noise
There will also be a chance that your pets will be startled because of all the noise set off by fireworks. It is a good idea to put your pets in a quiet room where the noise of the fireworks will not be too loud.
Conclusion
We all want to have a good time during the holidays; it is a time for family and merriment, after all. But if you have pets, remember that they are your family too. They should also be taken into consideration as you plan for the holidays. Your home should be a safe space for them during this time of year.
Wags to Wiskers is a community-based pet supplies store with a focus on natural, holistic pet foods, primarily for but not limited to dogs and cats. We aim to give you everything you need for your pets. If you are looking for a healthy pet store in Chelsea, contact us for inquiries and orders today!