Holiday Safety

 We have cooler days and nights, holidays back-to-back, and we spend more time with family and friends. There are also a lot of things we bring into our houses this time of year, foods galore for the parties and gatherings ahead, trees for the gifts and packages, and bows and ribbons for the decorations throughout the house. Our homes become a wondrous new playground for pets to have fun with and explore. 


The items we have every year in our house for these grand celebrations that we take for granted our pets look at as new smells, new play toys, and new things to get into. 

Wrapping paper and ribbons both become toys; icicles on the tree are fun to pull off; candy canes smell really good, and “Wow! A new water bowl, and mom planted a tree in it for me!” All of these holiday trappings can be harmful to our pets. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and icicles can be ingested and cause digestive upset, stoppage, and they can even tangle in the intestinal tract. The water in the tree base can cause digestive upset, and can become toxic from tree’s shedding pine needles. 

 Holiday plants such as Poinsettias and Mistletoe are two common additions to our houses, but these plants can cause digestive upset and can be toxic; keeping pets away from these plants to is necessary to keep them safe. 

There are a few things we can do to make all of our holiday celebrations safer for our pets as well.   

• Always pay attention to stress signs from your pets, as what may be a great party and gathering for us can be stressful to them. 
• Check with one of your local pet stores for calming herbal remedies to have on hand for use at the first sign of stress. Natural, herbal remedies help soothe and calm pets without using harsh chemicals to knock them out. 
• If you know your pets are scared of loud noises or extra people in and out of the house, find a quiet room for them to relax in. 
• Give them a toy, some soft music, and a safe place to go when their stress sets in. Puzzle toys are interactive and can keep them busy.
• Spend a little more time that day with them for some extra exercise and activities. A tired dog makes for a more relaxed dog.