The holiday season is here, and it is crucial to make sure that everyone, including your pets, has a joyful and festive time over Christmas and New Year’s.
Here are some suggestions to help you keep your pets out of trouble this holiday season.
During the holiday celebrations:
- Give your pet its room. Your pet could feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps scared in a bustling house filled with visitors and strangers. If your pet is hiding or acting too excited, it might be a good idea to give your pet some time to relax.
- Make sure your pet is comfortable with the interaction if your visitors’ kids and theirs want to play with it. Ask your visitors to be kind and gentle with your pet. Dogs don’t like to be gazed at, cuddled, or patted on the head by strangers.
- Safeguard your pet from fireworks and loud noises. Fireworks and dogs are a bad combination since they can frighten your dog horribly and possibly hurt its delicate ears. Most pet escapes occur on New Year’s Eve or during thunderstorms due to loud noises. Make sure your pet is kept in a safe space from which it cannot escape.
Keep your dog safe from holiday decorations
- Keep Christmas decorations, gifts, and wrapping supplies out of your pet’s reach. Many cats and dogs adore exploring and playing with ribbons and wrapped Christmas presents. Your pet’s digestive system could be harmed by eating ribbons and paper. Your pet’s intestinal system may become damaged if it ingests little objects or kid-sized toys.
- Avoid letting your pet chew on electrical cords and blinking Christmas lights so that they can’t accidentally electrocute themselves. Spraying citronella on your light decorations can help to keep your pet away.
- Choose silk and plastic artificial plants or a bouquet that is safe for pets as an alternative to fresh flowers. Most lilies are toxic to animals as well.
- Avoid using holly and mistletoe. Mistletoe can upset the stomach and lead to heart issues. Your pet may have nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after consuming holly.
- Make sure candles are set on a firm surface and use the proper candleholder. If you leave the room, even for a short while, extinguish the candles. Never leave candles burning unattended. Pets could tip them over, start a fire, or get burned.
Focus on your dog’s drinking and eating
- Take out the leftovers. Do not give any leftovers to your pet. Human food contains too much spice and fat for our canine companions, and it can result in issues ranging from pancreatitis to an unsettled stomach. Any cooked bones should never be consumed since they may splinter and even little bones may cause ripping of the intestines.
- You will have to put candies and chocolates out of your pet’s reach. Both chocolate and Xylitol, a sweetener that is present in many candies and gums, are fatal poisons for dogs. Please keep your pet away from any plates containing holiday candy and chocolates. For further safety, put them in a container with a snap lock that your pet can’t open.
- Your pet cannot drink alcohol so you must keep alcoholic beverages away from your pet. Alcohol can weaken and even put your pet into a coma, which could lead to its eventual demise.
- You will need to secure your trash from dogs. Make sure you put the trash away right away so your dog cannot reach it. Garbage can smell very appetizing to dogs and it can have a variety of hazards.
Keeping your dog safe from Christmas trees
- Hang your decorations high to keep your Christmas tree decorations out of your pet’s reach. Tinsel and ornaments are fun for pets to play with, but if swallowed, they can be harmful to your pet’s digestive system.
- Baubles can harm your pet if it breaks. In order to keep your pet safe you should only use unbreakable ornaments.
- Make sure to routinely remove the tree needles if you have a real tree. They can cut your pet’s paws or throat and are often sharp and sticky.
- You need to properly anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn’t fall over. You may be able to keep your pet’s envious eyes off your Christmas tree by placing it in a corner.
- To prevent your dog from getting close to the tree and presents, you can put up a small playpen or fence around it.
Bottom Line: Christmas can be an overwhelming festival for pets, with lots of people decorating, noise, and more. Make sure you give your pet a safe space and love so that they don’t panic or get anxious during the festival.
