Keep holiday decorations away from pets to keep them safe!
As Andy Williams sings, the holiday season is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Life slows down because people have time away from the job. People also can spend uninterrupted time with their families and enjoy gift giving. Naturally, as a loving pet parent, you’ll want your fur babies to be a part of the festivities as well. One tradition that some pet parents love is dressing their pets up in adorable holiday sweaters. The holidays are a fantastic time, but safety should always be in mind. If you want to keep your fur babies safe from harm, here are some holiday pet safety tips that you should follow every holiday season.
Holiday Pet Safety and Decorations
- The Tree: Make sure that your tree is secure. Anchor it so that it doesn’t fall and cause injury to your pets (or anyone else in your home). Securing your tree also ensures that tree water doesn’t spill. Tree water contains fertilizers that can cause your fur babies to have an upset stomach if they get a taste of it.
- Mistletoe, Holly, and Poinsettias: You should keep these decorations out of reach from your pets. If a pet ingests holly, it causes diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. The same goes for mistletoe, as well as causing heart problems for pets. As far as the poinsettia plant, it is mildly toxic to both cats and dogs. It can cause vomiting and drooling, and, although rare, diarrhea plus skin irritation if the milky sap has exposure to the skin.
- Tinsel, Hanukah Candles, and Wires: Tinsel, in particular, appeals to cats. It’s sparkly and piques a cat’s curiosity, but if ingested, it can lead to a damaged digestive tract, a lot of vomiting, and even the need for surgery. As far as candles, it’s always been a golden rule of thumb not to leave them unattended. You want to keep them on a stable, hard-to-reach surface, where no one in the household, including your fur babies, can cause them to fall. You also want to ensure that wires stay away from paws and pets, in general. Exposure to them and batteries can lead to lethal shock, mouth and esophagus burns!
Another decoration rule of thumb is to keep glass decorations far away from pets.
Holiday Pet Safety and Food
- Keep chocolate and any xylitol-sweetened food from pets
- Keep unattended plates out of pets’ reach
- Don’t feed spicy, fatty, or food with bones to your pets.
For more pet safety tips, keep checking out our content! Safe and Happy Holidays from Mount Carmel Animal Hospital!
Here at Mount Carmel Animal Hospital, We’ll Treat Your Pets Like Family!
Mount Carmel Animal Hospital has been serving the Northern Baltimore/Southern York community for over 30 years and is proud to be an independently operated, small animal practice committed to excellence in veterinary medicine and client service. From grooming to wellness services, along with Canine Life Skills Training Courses, and surgical procedures, we have the expertise that will best serve the needs of you and your pet. Contact us at 410-343-0200 and follow us on Facebook!