There are lots of joyful sights, sounds, and flavors during the holidays. There is plenty for your pet to enjoy in December, from tempting food and Christmas bustle to glittering and sparkling décor. To help keep your pet safe from danger and the ER out of your vacation plans, consider the following advice.
Holiday Lights: Although holiday lights are lovely and joyous, they can also be dangerous for pets, who might become overly fascinated with the new decorations.
- Take care with cords: Serious injuries like electrical shock and mouth burns can occur from chewing on cords. This season, when decorating, be sure to use electrical cord covers, tape, and cable organizers to make cords less accessible. To minimize nibbling, you can also try applying a bitter cord spray that is safe for pets.
- Keep pets away from candles: A curious pet may ruin the celebratory atmosphere created by candles if they are knocked over and catch fire. Additionally, if they approach too closely, pets may burn. Additionally, smoke may aggravate your pet’s respiratory system, particularly if they suffer from asthma or other respiratory conditions. For a safer option, consider using flameless candles that run on batteries.
Trees and Trimmings: In addition to the apparent risk (and inconvenience) posed by a toppled tree, there exist additional possible risks. For the first few days, keep a close eye on your pets’ behavior to observe how they react to your tree and its trimmings. You can think about setting up a safety barrier around your tree or putting it in an area that your pet doesn’t often access.
Make sure trees don’t fall over: Cats in particular might try to use the trunk as a scratching post, and they might try to climb it or jump on it. These activities run the risk of causing the tree to fall and injuring someone. Use a sturdy stand if possible, or think about supporting your tree by hanging it from the ceiling or wall.
Pets should not be near water: The bark and sap of evergreen trees contain toxic compounds that can seep into the tree’s water supply. It’s crucial to periodically change the water in a live tree and to keep your pet away from the stand when drinking. You may assist keep your pet out of the water by covering the base with a wire screen.
Get rid of the evergreen needles: Pets may get irritated by the oil on pine needles. In addition, if consumed, sharp needles have the potential to pierce the digestive tract or become lodged in the intestines, necessitating surgical removal. Ensure that needles that have fallen to the floor are routinely picked up.
Remove the ornaments: It appeals to our feline companions more because it’s sparkly, glittering, and stringy. Tinsel can wrap around the base of the tongue and become entangled in the intestines if consumed. This can result in an intestinal blockage that requires immediate surgery.
Examine your decorations: Glass ornaments are readily damaged and knocked over, which might result in cuts. Pets may find salt-dough ornaments to be appetizing and alluring, even after they have dried, but excessive salt consumption might result in dehydration or salt poisoning. Keep breakable or hazardous decorations out of your pet’s reach and be careful where you hang them. Items that can get swallowed and become stuck in the digestive system or throat should be handled with extra caution.
Flowers and Plants: According to common opinion, holiday flowers are only minimally toxic to pets, so unless there are serious clinical symptoms like drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea, your pet may not need to see a doctor. Many other holiday-themed flowers and plants, on the other hand, ARE harmful to our four-legged companions. Check out our list of some of the worst offenders, then make sure these flowers and plants are either out of your pets’ reach or avoid bringing them inside your house. Remember that if too many non-toxic flowers are consumed, they can induce diarrhea, vomiting, and choking.
Festive Foods: A lot of people include food in our celebrations, but did you realize that a lot of the foods we eat are harmful to our pets? You should take extra precautions to keep these foods away from pets if you plan to serve any of them during the holidays.
Holiday Hustle and Bustle: You and your pet may experience stress around the holidays. Anxiety might be brought on by ringing doorbells, unexpected guests, and busy activity.
Many holiday decorations and foods can affect your pet’s health. Batteries can overheat, and water and food debris in trees contain bacteria that can be harmful to decorations and plants. In addition, folk remedies are also simple.
All Stories:
Children, like family pets, need to be decorated for holidays, meals and guests. The cat is eating chops, the dog is eating chocolate, and they are both taking medicine from Aunt Sally’s purse… Children should watch their pets carefully. Here are some things to consider as you plan your holiday celebrations.
Batteries found in toys, greeting cards, electronics, incandescent lights, and remote controls can be very harmful if swallowed by pets (or people). The inside will get hot in a very short time. Christmas tree water contains bacteria. Even if the ingredients are not toxic, swallowing the liquid can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. Pets may choke on tinsel, ribbons, and Christmas tree needles. Can be cut into broken ornaments. Place trees and decorations on or over the fence.
Despite repeated warnings in the media, poinsettias are not poisonous plants. However, introducing poinsettia plants can be very irritating. Animals that chew poinsettias develop rashes and itchy mouths. Swallowing plants can cause stomach upset and pain.
Holly leaves are poisonous and may cause harm to pets if they try to eat them. Holly berries can be poisonous; they can dry out and fall where pets (and children) can find them.
Alcohol and chocolate are some foods that pets should not eat. Remove the glass and store leftover food so your pet doesn’t drink the water or get food poisoning.
Human drugs are toxic to animals. For example, cats and puppies can die from feces. Even if your medications are well stored, make sure your guests have them in their purse or backpack. Designate a safe place to store these items, out of sight and reach of pets (and children). If your pet swallows a battery, take it to the vet! It’s not worth the wait. If your pet seems to be sick after eating a certain food or soup, call your veterinarian.