Our Pets and the Holidays

Cat and Dog at ChristmasWith the holidays fast approaching, we’ll need to take a bit of extra time to make sure our homes are pet safe and friendly.
It’s easy to forget that our pets can get into tricky situations when it comes to Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. If we take a moment to plan ahead we can reduce the chance of our pets getting into trouble.
Halloween is a fun and exciting night for kids and parents alike, but can be a bit traumatic for our four-legged family members. If you are going to take Fido out to trick or treat, make sure he is ready for all the costumes and the action of a spooky night. These tips might make this holiday a bit easier to enjoy for you and all members of the family:
As pet lovers we should all know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. Chocolate contains high amounts of fat and caffeine-like stimulants. If ingested, chocolate can cause vomiting, panting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and even death if enough is consumed. Therefore keep all candy up and away from pets.
If you plan on dressing up your pet, give them time to get adjusted to the costume so they too will enjoy the evening. Don’t expect them to be ready to go if they have never worn costumes or clothing before.
All black cats should be kept inside. As we know, superstition of black cats can lead to misfortune at the hands of uneducated people. Keep them safe and comfortable inside!
Pets kept inside can become agitated with witches and goblins coming to the front door. We  know our pet’s personality best, so we can be ready for their numerous creepy encounters!
Now on to the joyful and cheery holidays! Thanksgiving and Christmas overflow with an abundance of food, friends, and plenty of decorations. This means plenty of temptations for our pets. I hope some of the tips listed below are helpful in “holiday proofing” your house.
Turkey and chicken bones can splinter and cause digestive issues. There are plenty of great alternatives to give your pets.
Holiday guests often feed our pets tidbits from the table. Have treats that are a healthy alternative available.
Christmas-tree lights should always be turned off if you’re not going to be home. This saves lives and saves power.
Placement of ornaments should be strategic so as not to tempt our cats or dogs. Breakables especially should be up high, heavy-duty, plastic, or wooden ornaments can go lower on the tree.
If you have a living Christmas tree, keep the water in the stand covered so your pets can’t drink it; the pine sap can be toxic. Also, secure your tree so climbing cats don’t take it down.
Make sure all ornament hooks, tinsel, and sparkly items are out of pets’ reach. They are tempting to dogs and can be very harmful if swallowed or chewed up.
Mistletoe and poinsettia are both very harmful is swallowed. Keep these plants up, up and away from kids and pets alike.
If your four-legged family member does get into something, call your veterinarian or poison control at 1-888-426-4435. (
Although this is a toll-fre number, a consultation fee may be charged to your credit card.) When calling have some basic information ready:
•  What they might have gotten into.
•  How much of it they ate.
•  What are the ingredients of the product eaten.
•  How long ago it happened.
•  What symptoms your pet is showing.
These tips should help the holidays be a fun time for your pets and family alike. Happy holidays and happy pets!

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