Pet-Proofing Your Holiday Home

We all want our furry four leggSee the source imageed friends to have safe and happy holidays with us.  Sometimes that means we must take extra precautions to keep our pets safe during these seasons.  Animals are often injured by items we normally wouldn’t find as unsafe for humans such as plants or decorations.  You can provide love and attention to your pets over the holidays by supervising them and being informed on the do’s and don’ts of pet safety.  This article will provide some tips and tricks to pet proofing your home for the holidays.

 

Plants

If you’re one of those people during the holidays who likes to spruce up the house a little bit by using live plants or decorations, please avoid the following as they can have toxic effects on our pets.  These are a few of the more common plants according to the United States Food and Drug Administration.

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Plants to Avoid:

  • Lily of the Valley
  • Daylilies and True lilies
  • Poinsettia
  • Rhododendron

If your pet ingests any potentially dangerous items, please call your veterinarian or contact a pet poison control center right away.

 

Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435

 

Decorations

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Christmas lights, candles, tinsel, dry or liquid potpourri, ornaments, and even Christmas trees themselves can be dangerous for your pets without supervision.  Make sure that you keep any open flamed candles out of reach of any inquisitive paws.  Try to stabilize Christmas trees to prevent them from being able to fall over and avoid using additives in the tree water in case of ingestion.  Any tinsel, pine needles, or ornaments that are ingested can cause obstruction, injury, or toxicity as well if not caught in time.

 

Food

While giving your pet a human treat during the holiday season might be tempting, it is not advised.  Many of the foods that are made for human consumption can contain substances that may cause problems for our pets such as GI upset, pancreatitis, or liver or kidney damage.  Offering a large amount of pet treats at one time can also cause GI upset or pancreatitis, so it is best to avoid having our pets eat the whole Christmas stocking filled with goodies at once.

 

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Ways to Help Protect Your Pet During the Holidays

1. Keep people food away from your furry legged friends.

2. Keep candles and open flames out of reach.

3. Avoid using water additives with real trees.

4. Fence or gate off areas of decoration or trees if you have very curious pets.

5. Use shatter-proof decorations to help prevent injury.

6. Consider using plastic plants instead of real ones.

7. Place lights and electrical cords in areas where pets can not chew on them.

8. Provide a quiet, safe area for pets to get away from stressful activity.

9. Never force your pet to interact with other guests or animals.

10. Microchipped pets are more likely to be returned if they get loose during the holiday commotion.

11. Take out trash with food or decorations in it as soon as possible to avoid ingestion.

 

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Written by Serena S