Home for the Paw-lidays: Keeping Pets Safe All Season Long

With the holidays around the corner, the good times and holiday cheer can take an unexpected turn with a trip to the vet. These tips can help keep your holiday season cheerful and bright! ​

The Cookies Aren’t For Everyone ​

The holidays bring us some of our favorite foods—cookies, sweets, and a big Christmas dinner. While we humans love these treats, they can be detrimental to our pets. When preparing the big meal, ensure food is away from counter edges so your pets don’t sneak a bite while you’re not looking.  

Bones: Bones can easily splinter and cause serious health problems.

Chives, Garlic, Onions: All members of the allium family. These contain compounds that can damage red blood cells in animals. 

Chocolate: Chocolate is a big part of the holidays and is toxic to dogs and cats. It’s safest to keep chocolate off-limits for pets.  

Grapes, Raisins: These are toxic to our pets and can cause serious kidney problems. 

Milk: Many dogs and cats can have difficulty digesting lactose and small amounts can cause gastrointestinal problems.  
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Xylitol: Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in many foods and drinks and is toxic to dogs and cats. 

Take Out the Trash ​

If your pet enjoys trash picking, it’s a good idea to take out the trash when it’s full to ensure they don’t accidentally eat any potentially poisonous foods. Keep trash in containers they can’t easily get into and hide them somewhere your pets can’t access when it’s out of sight.  ​

Holiday Guests and Your Pets ​

Visitors can overwhelm pets, even if they’re not normally shy. The loud music, loud voices, and movement can disturb them beyond their normal capacity. 
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Keep Them Indoors: Though the party may overstimulate some pets, you should keep them inside during cold weather. It’s better to provide a safe, quiet, comfy place full of toys and things your pets find comfort in than it is to leave them in the cold.  

An Accessible Safe Zone: Animals like to have a spot where they can retreat when they’re uncomfortable or overwhelmed. Consider putting a crate or bed in a room where guests won’t be, like a bedroom. Fill that bed with their favorite blankets, treats, and toys, and keep access to water nearby. Some pets will be able to go to their safe space on their own, but if they’re reactive and would rather bark than go to their spot, shutting them in the room can help calm them down. Make sure they’re safe and comfortable!  

Inform Your Guests About Your Pet: If you don’t confine your pet, make sure your guests know! Animals can slip out easily if the guests aren’t prepared, so let them know ahead of time so they’re prepared for what may come! We’ve discussed how to keep your pet comfortable while guests are over, but some of your guests may be fearful of pets. Let your guests know if your pet will be confined or if they’ll be out and about so you can plan the best way possible! 

Deck the Halls (Safely!) ​

Holiday decorating is tons of fun. The lights, the tree, and the knick-knacks make the holidays festive, but they also pose risks for our pets. Follow these tips to keep your decorating safe for your four-legged friends! 

Watch Out For Wires: Many decorations are wired nowadays. Lights around the house and the Christmas tree are tempting for your pet to sink their teeth into. Be sure to hide any exposed wires and keep things unplugged when not in use. 
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O Christmas Tree: Trees hold many potential threats to our pets. A broken ornament can damage your pet's mouth and digestive tract if consumed. If your pet lives on the risky side, tuck your ornaments deeper into your tree or put the intriguing ones higher on the tree. Make sure your tree is secure so it won’t topple onto your pet if they get rowdy near it. Tinsel can be problematic for your pet, so don’t use it if you can! If you use tinsel, keep it out of reach from your pets. Finally, make sure your pets don’t chew on limbs or droppings from your tree. Fake or real, both can cause intestinal obstruction in your pet, and you don’t want to make that trip to the vet while dinner is being prepared. 

Candles: Holiday candles smell nice and add to the Christmas aesthetic. A knocked-over candle spilling wax everywhere and starting a house fire does not! Make sure all candles are in a safe place where they can’t be bumped, and make sure you keep an eye on them at all times. Pets are quick, curious, and sneaky!  

Warmth Without Worry: Speaking of candles, there are more potential dangers in your home. If you have a fireplace, keep the fireplace blocked off so your pet doesn’t accidentally get into the wood or fire, preventing stomach irritations and burns. Heaters are great at keeping your house warm, but keep your eye on them! Never leave a heater on when you aren’t home because it can easily start a house fire. When you are home, make sure your pet doesn’t get too close to it for too long. They may enjoy the warmth, but they can seriously burn themselves from the extreme heat. 

Poinsettias? Poison! Many holiday plants like poinsettias, amaryllis, mistletoe, balsam, and holly can be dangerous and even toxic to pets who eat them. If you have any of these plants in your home, keep them out of reach of your pet to keep them safe! 

Presents Present a Problem: Seeing your pets open presents on Christmas morning is one of the most adorable things you can imagine. Coming home to see that your pet opened up the chocolate box you got your mom is a surprise and a hassle. Keep all presents that contain food or anything smelly off the ground and away from your pet's reach. If you own a curious critter, block presents under the tree with a barrier, like a pen or a blanket, so they won’t spoil what you got for your younger brother.  

Hold the Salt ​

Salting your driveway is a good way to melt the ice on your sidewalks, but rock salt can be harmful to our furry friends. It is often toxic, irritating their stomachs, and can lead to a painful potty time, vomiting, and with higher dosages can lead to death. Ingestion isn’t the only way it’s harmful to our pets. The salt is sharp and can cut your pooch’s paws up. Not only that, the salt mixed with water can cause chemical burns on their paws, causing limping, falling, and whining. Instead of using regular rock salt, made of sodium chloride, find a pet-friendly salt like magnesium chloride, which has a low level of toxicity in dogs. Even though this is less toxic than regular rock salt, you should try to minimize the amount your pet ingests. These pellets are also round-shaped, so they will not cut or irritate your pet’s paws. 

​The holidays are a great time full of family and friends! Following these tips can ensure everyone in your home has a safe and happy time during the holiday season. Stay safe, stay warm, and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!