Happy Holidays! Fun and festivities are just around the corner for everyone in your home, including your beloved furry four-pawed folks. The Christmas season can be incredibly for fun for pets, especially if they’re social – there’s people around, plenty of treats, and almost always someone to play with.
Unfortunately, festivities can also create new and non-typical risks for your pup that might not exist throughout the rest of the year. These risks lead to thousands of vet visits, emergency surgeries, and procedures like stomach pumping every single year. Avoid common holiday dangers with this easy-to-follow
dog-proofing guide.
Invest in an Artificial Christmas Tree
Thinking of having a real tree in your house? They’re beautiful, but they can pose a significant risk to your dog. The most common risk is ingesting pine needles, bark, or even branches – all three can cause harm to the gastrointestinal tract, sometimes even causing perforated bowels. If your
dog ingests enough pine needles, it could even cause a blockage.
That isn’t the only problem with real trees; the water at the bottom is a risk, too. It often contains preservatives, fertilizers, dyes, and other chemicals that could make your dog sick. Faux trees look just as lovely. If you’re missing the
Christmas tree smell, there are pet-safe mists you can buy to create the same ambiance as a real tree!
Tree-Proof Your Pets
No matter what type of tree you choose, you must secure it properly if you have pets of any kind around. Dogs, in curiosity or play, can bring a tree down on top of themselves accidentally, causing injuries like cuts, bruises, or even damage to their eyes. A falling tree is also an increased fire risk, especially if you have a fireplace or candles in the same room.
You can secure your tree with a sturdy tree stand and additional bracing in the ceiling or wall surrounding the tree. Martha Stewart, who is known for her love of dogs and all things home decor,
recommends running fishing line around the tree at the center and then fastening it into the wall with a molly screw. If you don’t have fishing line, dental floss or clear twine is just as effective.
Use Non-Glass Holiday Decor
There’s really nothing more beautiful than a tree carefully decorated with grandma’s treasured frosted glass baubles from the 1950s. Well, there
wasn’t anything that beautiful, at least before the dog managed to knock them all down and break them.
Anyone with pets knows that decorating with glass is questionable period, but be especially careful with glass tree ornaments, especially near the bottom of the true. Use plastic whenever possible instead, or at the very least, keep delicate ornaments closer to the top of the tree.
Remember: falling ornaments aren't’ the only risk. If they break, your pets could step on them, leading to a costly Christmas trip to the vet.
Avoid Decorating With Toxic Greenery
The festive season comes with a neverending list of plants – trees,
poinsettias, lilies, holly, and even ivy. These plants sure do look beautiful draped along the mantle or even the front door, but they all have an insidious secret: they’re poisonous to pets. If ingested, your pet could experience symptoms ranging from a little bit of nausea to even fatal liver failure, so it’s best to avoid poisonous plants period. Faux plants (try silk) look every bit as fantastic as real plants, and if ingested accidentally, are much less likely to cause harm.
Be Wary of Chocolate
Chocolate bars, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate eclairs, chocolate buttons, wrapped chocolate – that cocoa-filled goodness is everywhere all throughout the holiday season. Unfortunately, that means it’s also often easily accessible for your dog to chow down on.
Cocoa, which contains theobromine, is highly toxic to both small and large dogs. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, seizures, and if enough is eaten, even death. It often doesn’t require as much as you think to cause harm, either; a small dog who eats just a couple of cookies may become sick if they contain dark chocolate chips.
Keep chocolate up high and away from pups at all tops throughout the season. More importantly, if something does happen and Fido gets a bite, call the vet for advice. If it’s just a morsel, monitor him and watch for signs of sickness. Anything over a bite or two is cause of concern and deserves proactive vet review.
Cheap Dog Toys Are Dangerous; Buy Mindfully
Thinking of buying a ton of
cheap dog toys for your furry loved ones? This may benefit your budget, but be careful what you bring home to your dog. Cheap toys (often made in China) may lack proper safety features or break down faster than more reliable versions. A pup who chews on these cheaper toys may accidentally ingest or swallow plastic, stuffing, or framing, and that can lead to serious stomach problems.
Some toys, depending on how they’re made, may even contain lead or
cadmium, both dangerous heavy metals.
This is one area where extra investment is wise. Spend the extra money and invest in something reliable and trustworthy. Your dog will appreciate a single well-made toy that lasts far better than Dollar Tree toys that break down in two days!
Keep Alcohol Out of Reach
Many of us appreciate a glass of wine or beer here and there over the holidays. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a festive drink now and again (please drink responsibly), that just isn’t true for your dog.
Alcohol is extremely toxic to dogs, even in small amounts, simply because it contains alcohol. Depending on the drink in question, it may even contain other toxic ingredients (like grapes). The simple and fast rule is to never give your dog alcohol, full stop, period. No questions asked.
That said, be mindful of the dangers of a
curious dog and spilled alcohol. Leaving a glass of beer forgotten on the coffee table until morning might not seem like such a big deal to you, but if your dog gets curious, it could result in a trip to the vet. Cans, bottles, and even drinks should be kept up high out of reach at all times.
