Holiday Safety for Pets

Happy and Safe Holidays!

Keep your fur babies happy and safe over the holidays!! A trip to the ER can take some of the joy and happiness out of our holidays. Here are a few tips to keep your beloved pets safe and happy!!

1. 1. 1.  Avoid People Food and The Trash!  Ask your guests to please not feed your pets while they are visiting. Keep food and other edibles away from the edge of the table and counters.  Consider placing your pets in a safe place during parties and when guests are visiting. If you have a dog that begs like mine, sometimes the best and safest place is in the crate.
      2. Make sure your presents under the tree are not edible.  If you don’t know what is in the package, just ask, “Is this something that could harm my pet if they get into it?”  I can’t tell you how many dogs have eaten chocolate that was a present under the tree.
      3. Keep Holiday plants out of reach of your pet.  Poinsettias, lilies, and mistletoe are toxic plants to animals, especially kitties.
      4. Make sure your Christmas Tree and decorations are secured properly.  My blind dog knocked down my tree one year, and oh what a mess that was.  Luckily Mousse was safe, but it scared him and caused quite a mess.
      5. Avoid candles, essential oils, and potpourri.  Many of these are toxic to animals, or could cause a fire if knocked over.
      6.  Be sure your toys and treats are made in the USA!  Last year my sister-in-law got my dog a bone that was made in China.  After Vixie Elizabeth started chewing on the bone, she started coughing.  As soon as I threw the bone in the trash, the coughing stopped.  Read your labels!!  When in doubt, throw it out!!
      7. Be aware of foods that are or can be toxic to pets.  Here is a list of things to avoid:

Namaste,

Jill