It’s the holiday season again! Time for holiday safety tips for our pets. Remember to make their holiday celebration as safe as possible by keeping your pets routine as close to normal as possible.
Make sure your Christmas tree is securely anchored so it doesn’t tip and fall. Do not use additives to tree water if your pet can drink from the base. Stagnant water can breed bacteria and your pet could end up with an upset stomach or diarrhea. Tinsel looks pretty on the tree but kittens (and cats) love to play with the sparkly “toy”. If ingested it can cause an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting, and possible surgery. Also keep wires, batteries and glass ornaments out of paws reach. A wire can cause a potentially lethal electrical shock and punctured batteries can cause burns to your pet’s mouth.
We all know chocolate is bad for pets, but anything sweetened with xylitol is also dangerous, causing liver failure and low blood sugar. So keep holiday treats where pets can’t get to them. Also fatty foods, bones, alcoholic drinks, nuts, fruitcake, raisins and grapes are just some of the things that can cause digestive upset including pancreatitis which may cause a hospital stay.
Other holiday safety for pets includes keeping mistletoe, holly out of pets reach, they can cause serious problems for both cats and dogs, such as kidney failure, and cardiovascular problems.
Give your pet a space all his own like his crate, a carrier or even a room to retreat to if he needs a time out from all the activities. He wants to enjoy the festivities also but you don’t want to make a trip to the vet on December 26th!
Tags: holiday pet information, holiday pet tips, holiday safety, holiday safety for pets, Pet Safety Tips in NJ, poisonous food
