Welcome back to our blog! We know many of you are gearing up for the holidays, which means you’ll be setting out all the most festive decorations, putting together your holiday meal plans, and finalizing plans with friends and family for merry-making social events. One thing to consider during the holidays is how your pet may be affected by all the twinkling decorations, delicious foods being cooked and baked, and visiting house guests. Let’s look at some helpful pet safety tips for the holidays that you can follow to help keep your furry family member safe, healthy, and happy all season long. Please continue reading below to learn more.
Boughs of Holly & Other Festive Plants
Seasonal plants are a common feature in most homes during the holidays. These plants include crimson and verdant poinsettias, delicate holy, and adorable mistletoe. The trouble with these and other gorgeous holiday plants is that they are toxic to dogs and cats. Take poinsettia, for instance, which can cause your pup to experience a severe upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea, if ingested. For cats, a telltale sign that they’ve eaten poinsettia is excessive drooling and irritability. Holly will cause the same symptoms; however, mistletoe may cause more severe digestive issues and may lead to cardiovascular issues. It’s best to keep these plants up off of the floor and out of reach of curious pets’ mouths. Be sure to check back and read our blog about holiday plant safety to learn about more holiday plants that are toxic for pets.
O Christmas Trees
These Christmas staples, while incredibly fun and stunning, pose a few hazards to pets. For one, when they aren’t anchored down securely, Christmas trees can tip over easily, which could injure your dog or cat. The hanging decorations can sometimes be enticing to pets, especially to curious cats, who may try playing with the twinkling lights or dangling ornaments. This may also cause the tree to tip over, and the ornaments also become choking hazards. If these hazards weren’t enough, real Christmas trees that require watering can also pose a health risk if the standing water goes unchanged and becomes stagnant. The water can become full of bacteria that may cause your pet vomiting and diarrhea if they take a drink of it. Make sure your tree is anchored to the ground, that the decorations aren’t hung too low on the tree, and that you change out the water frequently to avoid possible injury or sickness.
Bells Will Be Ringing
Along with the festive plants and trees, many of you will cover your stairways, railings, shelves, coffee tables with strands of garland, tinsel, lights, candles, and other decorative objects. While these items spread holiday cheer to all who enter your home, these also pose safety risks to your furry friends. Cats love swatting at twinkling strands of tinsel, but if they swallow a piece, it can cause a blockage in their digestive tract, induce vomiting, and in serious situations, may require surgery. As far as glowing holiday candles go, both cats and dogs are attracted to the dancing flame, and could potentially knock these from their surface with a swat of the paw, or a flick of the tail. This could not only cause harm to your pet but could also start a fire. Place candles in places where your pets can’t reach them or knock them over when they walk by.
Call Eagle Animal Hospital
These are just a few of the best pet safety tips that you can follow to keep your furry companion healthy and safe during the holidays. Join us next time as we look at more pet safety tips relating to holiday foods, beverages, and celebrations in part two of this blog series. In the unfortunate event that you have a pet emergency over the holidays that requires immediate veterinary care, please call Eagle Animal Hospital and Pet Resort right away. If you have questions or concerns about your pet and need immediate pet care advice, call us and speak to one of our friendly and knowledgeable team members. At Eagle, we want you and your pet to enjoy the magic of the holiday season to its fullest, in the safest manner possible.