5 holiday pet safety tips

We’ve entered Holiday Season 2018. Grocery stores are pulling out the turkeys and baking supplies for Thanksgiving, and big-box stores have set up Christmas trees. With Thanksgiving about a week away and Christmas only five to six weeks from now, this is a good time to remind pet parents of the dangers the holiday season can present to our furry family members.
 
Here are five pet safety tips to be mindful of these next two months:
 

1. Be cautious with human foods. Although some foods, like turkey and pumpkin, are fine for pets, other edibles, like garlic and chocolate, are not. (more on this next week)
2. Keep a lid on the trash. Enticing aromas from turkey bones and other foods may make your pet a garbage hound. Therefore, make sure the trash is out of your furry friend’s reach – poultry bones can cause great damage to an animal’s insides, and some animals die from ingesting such objects.
3. Decorations can be dangerous. Therefore, keep them out of your pets’ reach. Candles, lights, tinsel, even some plants can harm our pets, especially if chewed/swallowed.
4. Added noise and activity can cause anxiety. Make sure your pets wear identification in case they slip out of the door with guests coming and going; you may also want to set up a “quiet room” for your animals to go and get away from the crowds and activity.
5. Anchor the tree. Some people erect their Christmas trees right after Thanksgiving; others wait until closer to Christmas. Whenever you put up your tree, make sure it’s securely anchored. Cats especially are attracted by sparkling lights and dangling decorations – their swatting, jumping, and playing can knock over a Christmas tree, so make sure it’s secure.

 
Make sure you know your veterinarian’s holiday hours and the phone number of the emergency vet clinic in your community in case something should happen. Another handy number to have is the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 1-888-426-4435. Although we hope nothing happens to our furry family members, having these phone numbers handy and knowing if your vet (or another) is available on-call is good information to have just in case.
 
Find more tips and helpful information regarding holiday safety at these websites:
https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/holidays.aspx?utm_source=prettyurl&utm_campaign=holiday&utm_term=holiday
https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/dog-care/holiday-pet-safety-tips/
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/holiday-safety-tips
 
 
NEXT WEEK: A guest post from Katie at Personal Creations on Thanksgiving Food Do’s and Don’t’s for your pet, including creative food and treat ideas from your left-overs! Be sure to stop by! Meantime, check out the graphic below from Personal Creations for this week's blog post.

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