Keeping Your Pets Safe during the Holidays

Everybody loves Christmas holidays because it is that time of the year that marks merry reunion with friends and family. Festivities are ongoing throughout the season and the joyfulness is contagious. Adults are busy shopping and planning, children spend hours writing letters to Santa Claus, and all enjoy decorating the home. But we tend to forget that these holidays are disastrous for our pets.

During Christmas, innumerable pets are injured because of decorations, foods or holiday plants. Help your pets to celebrate this festive occasion safely by ensuring that they are protected from Christmas health hazards. Beautiful holiday decorations like Christmas lilies, poinsettias, holly and mistletoe are toxic when pets ingest them. Mistletoe is responsible for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems. Poinsettias and holly cause lethargy, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. If you plan to decorate the dining table with the help of holiday plants keep them in a place that cannot be reached by pets between mealtimes. The mistletoe should be hung where pets will find it difficult to reach.

Cats are attracted to berries which are extremely poisonous. Do not allow your pets into the room where you have kept your Christmas tree if there is no one to supervise. If your pet eats pine needles, its intestine could get punctured. Always unplug the lights of the tree before you leave the house and either tape or secure the electrical cords of the holiday lights so that your pet does not chew them. The Christmas tree should be secured to the ceiling or wall so that it does not fall on your pets. Restrain your pets from drinking water from the holder of the tree becomes even fresh water would contain the residue of fertilizers and water that are stagnant is a breeding ground for bacteria. If you tend to use water preservative for your tree go for one that is non-toxic so that it will not harm your pet in case it drinks it when you are not around. Do not use aspirin in tree water to preserve it because if your pet ingests it accidentally it could become seriously ill or even die.
Keep away Christmas ornaments and tinsel. Cats like to play with the latter. Some even eat it but this is dangerous as it can block the intestines. Pets think of ornaments as toy balls. The shards from glass ornaments that are broken could injure the paws and mouths of your pets. If swallowed, they could injure the intestine tract and stomach grievously. If your pets continue playing with the ornaments, hang some balloons on the lower branches of the Christmas tree. Be around till your pet snares one. The sound of the balloon bursting will make your pet leave the Christmas decorations alone.

When your children open their gifts make them put the toys away because the smaller parts of the toys could result in intestine blockage or choking in pets and would require surgery in order to remove them. A majority of pets love to doze on a hearth that is warm. Even if the fire is out make use of fireplace screens. Extinguish candles when you leave the room and keep them out of reach of your pets.