Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Protecting Your Pets During the Holidays

The holidays will be here before we know it. Halloween kicks it off with kids knocking at your door for tricks or treats.  Then comes the hunt for the best Thanksgiving turkey in town which quickly leads, and usually happens before Thanksgiving, to the Christmas music, ornaments, lights, movies, presents and anything Christmassy you can think of. Last but not least, we end the year with a BANG, welcoming 2016!

I’m sure all pets love this time of year just as much as we do. Especially the food part. Going into the holiday season, please know that there are several dangers that need to be avoided for your fur babies. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, here are a few things to keep them away from:



1. Candy and Halloween type plants (pumpkins and corn) for pets are no-no’s! Chocolate especially, is not a pet’s friend. Make sure that you keep all candy where your pets cannot reach it. Not just your dogs but your cats as well. Although cats may not be as sensitive to candy, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.  Candy upsets their stomachs, as does “Halloween plants”. Not because the plants are poisonous but if they eat large amounts of them, it will surely upset their tummies. And if you have Jack-O-Lanterns out that are lit, also keep them where your pets can’t get to them to avoid getting burned.
2. You can find all sorts of Halloween costumes for your pets, but make sure they are comfortable with wearing them. Make sure that the costume doesn’t obstruct their breathing or hearing, and that they can move freely in it. If you have a pet with sensitive skin, make sure you try it on before the big night to make sure it doesn’t irritate their skin.
3. On Halloween night:
a.      Make sure they have some sort of ID, whether it’s a microchip or on their collars in case the get out of your house and get lost.
b.      To avoid ‘a’ confine them in a safe place.
c.      Also to avoid ‘a’ keep them away from the door as in ‘b’.



1. Bones… Keep them away from turkey bones. They are choking hazards and if it happens to get past their throat, it can still injury them internally. So instead of giving them as a treat, trash them.
2. Take the trash out so that there’s no worrying about #1. Dogs especially just can’t help but nose through the trash, especially when there’s yummy goodness in there. Cats are not innocent either. They too have been known to paw through trash as well. As soon as it fills up, take it out.
3. While the sweet tooth comes out in all of us around the holidays, keep the sweets to yourself. Our pet's bodies don’t do well on sweets so it’s better not to share with them. Say no for your pet to chocolate, cakes, pies or anything like that.



1. Tinsel can make your tree look great and shiny. It’s also the shiny that incises animals. If ingested, it can get stuck in the bellies and cause them pain. Avoid tinsel if you can.
2. Ornaments are enticing as well. They’re dangerous in the way that they are choking hazards. If they’re glass and are broken they can end up in their paws or in their months and that’s not good. Edible ornaments or tree décor is dangerous as well. For instance with strung popcorn, they can pull on the string and bring the tree down on them or others. They can also unknowingly swallow the string and that’s not good either.
3. Twinkling lights… while they look beautiful, they are another pet danger. Hide the wires or tape them down to avoid your pets chewing on them. Limit the danger of them being electrocuted.



1. This is a bit of a loud holiday. If your pet is sensitive to noise, I’m sure this is not one of their favorite times of year. Some areas restrict fireworks but if you’re in one that does not, this is a tough time for some animals with their sensitive ears. While it will most likely be difficult to do so, try and put them in the farthest room from the noise.
2. Be mindful of any alcoholic beverages around your animals as well. If they get a hold of a festive, fun cocktail, the result for them is not so fun. In some instances it could cause death so put those cocktails where they can’t be reached.


Our pets can’t help but be curious about decorations that aren’t normally in their homes and definitely can’t help themselves around yummy food. It’s our job to protect them and make sure they don’t get themselves into any sort of trouble. Keep an extra protective eye out for your fur babies during the holiday’s season.

On a side note, here are more food to keep away from your pets throughout the year:



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*Tips were taken from the following websites:



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