PAWS: Keep your furry friends safe this Holiday Season

From PAWS

It’s a time for celebrating our families and loved ones, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for your cat or dog. 

Every holiday season thousands of pets end up in the emergency room of the veterinarian’s office, but with just a little preparation, you can keep your four-legged friends out of harms way.

“Homes change during the holidays. Christmas trees, lights, candles and rich foods are all really fascinating to our pets, but they can also be quite dangerous,” says Kay Joubert, Director of Companion animal Services at PAWS.

The first order of business when “holiday-proofing” for pets is identifying potential hazards, like the Christmas tree. First, make sure it’s secure; a falling tree can injure both cats and dogs. Also, make sure the tree water is covered by a tree skirt. Tree water may contain toxic fertilizers, and can become a breeding ground for bacteria. If a dog or cat decides to take a taste, he or she could suffer from nausea and/or vomiting.

When decorating, try and avoid small glass balls or trinkets. These shiny objects are easily ingestible, and incredibly dangerous. Also, skip the tinsel since this holiday standby is irresistible (especially to cats), but can easily become lodged in your pet’s digestive tract. 

Forget the Holiday Plants

It’s common knowledge that Poinsettias are toxic for cats and dogs, but they’re not nearly as dangerous as Lilly, Mistletoe, and Holly. The Lilly is the most common flower in any floral arrangement, and is quite popular in holiday bouquets, but just a little nibble from one of these can result in acute kidney failure for your cat. 

Holiday Feast

Never feed your animal chocolate or anything sweetened with Xylitol. Also, be sure you don’t feed your pet anything fatty or spicy from the holiday table. As tempting as it may be, don’t feed your dog any bones from the holiday bird. Bones from fowl can easily splinter and puncture the stomach and intestines of your dog or cat. “When in doubt, reach for a dog or cat treat instead,” says Joubert

Holiday beverages can also be dangerous for your pets. Avoid leaving alcohol within reach of your cat or dog. Ingesting alcohol can result in nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, even death so be sure your guests keep the spirits out of the reach of your pets.

Take a Tour of your Home

After you’ve done your holiday decorating, take a walk around your home and look for anything that may be a danger to your pet. Maybe it’s a stray cord from a string a lights that could shock your dog or cat; a candle that’s too close to the ground that could cause a burn; a box of candy under the tree that may be too tempting; or a tray of nuts within reach.

“It’s almost like child-proofing your home,” says Joubert. “Just walk through and imagine what kind of trouble your dog or cat could get into. If you can spot it, chances are, so will your pets.”

And a little preparation will not only keep the season bright, it will keep it safe as well!