| Back | Home |
|
Holiday Safety Tips For Pets‘Tis the season for good cheer... While enjoying the holidays, here are some safety tips to keep your pet healthy and cheerful too. Be sure to keep the electrical cords covered and/or out of reach of your pet. They can become tangled in them or worse, chew on them and possibly get electrocuted. All of those beautiful Christmas plants; the poinsettia, holly and mistletoe. Please keep them away from your pets. They are toxic to them. Candy, candy, candy - Yum! Place candy out of reach. The decorative foil wrappings, if ingested, can cause an obstruction in your pet’s intestines. Chocolate can be fatal if ingested in large quantities. Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree... Make sure your tree is secure and cannot be easily tipped over. If you have a real tree in your home, make sure to pick up the pine needles as they fall. An ingested pine needle can puncture your pet’s intestines. Keep your delicate ornaments at the top or your tree. You don't want your pet to knock them off the tree and break them or worse, ingest them. Watch the tinsel! Kitties love to play with it and puppies love to eat it. Either way, it poses a danger to your pet; it can cause strangulation on the inside or out! Don't allow your pet to indulge in too much holiday food. While a tiny taste of plain turkey or ham is okay, any more than that can cause vomiting, diarrhea or worse. Most of our human foods are too rich for our pets and some of the seasonings we use to prepare them can be toxic. Did you know that onions and garlic could cause anemia in your pet? Just water please... Alcohol and coffee (beans, grounds, etc.) are toxic to your pet. Please keep them out of reach. Ring in the New Year - but not too loudly! Loud noises can really frighten your pets causing them to bolt out of an open door or window in fear. If you will be banging on the pots and pans, please put your pet in another room to enjoy the celebration from a much quieter location. Keep an eye on the confetti, too. You don't want your pet to eat it or get tangled in it. Antifreeze is a danger for your pet. It's sweet smell is very attractive to your pet, but the ethylene glycol, even in tiny amounts, can cause kidney failure and death very quickly. If you think your pet may have ingested antifreeze, call your vet immediately! Even though your pet may love to romp in the snow, make sure you clean his or her feet thoroughly afterward. The snow, ice or rock salt can be very irritating to their feet. Our holiday routine is usually not our everyday routine. This can be very stressful for your pet. Try to keep your pets schedule as close to the everyday routine as possible. Although picturing an adorable puppy or kitten jumping out of a box from under the Christmas tree is a precious thought, please don't give pets as presents. A pet should not be a surprise. The person who is to care for the pet should be ready, willing and able to take on the commitment. Pets aren't just for Christmas, Pets are for Life!
|
||
|