The holidays are a time of social gatherings with lots of decadent foods and elaborate decorations. However, what seems like a winter wonderland to humans can actually cause pets a plethora of problems.
Dr. Sandra Norman, a veterinarian with the Indiana Board of Animal Health has a few helpful tips to keep in mind this holiday season to ensure your four-legged friends stay as safe as possible.
Limit special holiday treats to ones specifically made for pets. Dr. Norman reports that each holiday season many pets are taken to emergency veterinary clinics with bones in their stomachs or severe abdominal pain from holiday foods. Avoid feeding them anything sweet, salty, fatty or spicy and never give pets poultry bones to chew.
Keep in mind that many holiday plants, including holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, pine and cedar can all be toxic if ingested. The same goes for things like ornaments, tinsel and garland. To avoid incidents with decorations, keep them out of your pet’s reach. Also secure your Christmas tree to keep it from toppling and place barriers around tree water so that pets will not be able to consume any of the hazardous additives that may be inside.
Dr. Norman also warns that if pets chew on Christmas lights they can potentially be burnt or electrocuted. Keep an eye on your animals while at home and unplug all electrical cords while away.
If you plan to have many people over, be aware that even the most social animals can get skittish when there is a lot of noise and excitement. Set aside a calm and comfortable place where they can get away from company. Watch the door when people are entering and exiting your home to ensure that pets don’t slip outside unnoticed.
The final tip that Dr. Norman shared is to have animals properly identified with tags or microchips so potentially lost pets can easily be reunited with their owners.
