Christmas Safety Tips & Holiday Dangers for Dogs
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… the holidays are upon us and everyone is busy with the hustle and bustle of the season. Holidays really can be magical for your entire family, including your dog, as long as you take precautions and plan ahead for the pesky dangers that are lurking around this time of year and could affect your family pet.
Christmas Lights
Christmas lights are a big contributor to cheerful effects of the season – but pet owners must take special care in placement when it comes to your puppy. The lights could make for a nasty chew toy that presents potentially fatal dangers for your dog if they’re drawn to chewing up the electrical cord. If you aren’t certain how your dog will behave around lights or if he will stay away from them, take precautions in stringing lights on your Christmas tree up and out of reach to your pup. Consider placing a gate around your tree, or worst case, keep the lights restricted to the top half of the tree. If you are concerned about lights, you may want to stay away from decorating your bushes and trees outside. However, if your neighbor happens to be channeling his inner Walt Griswold, you may want to look into an invisible fence to keep pooch from wandering outside your yard and get into a world of Christmastime trouble next door.
Holiday Plants
Even if you aren’t concerned about lights with you dog, a gate sill may be a good idea – you wouldn’t want your dog to accidentally knock down the tree by getting too close. Speaking of the tree, stay away from glass ornaments as these could be very problematic if you pup gets into them while you are decorating or after the fact. Other Christmas tree decorations to stay away from are anything edible and tinsel. Edible decorations are just an invitation for trouble, while tinsel really can be dangerous for your dog. If your decorations go above and beyond the Christmas tree in your house be weary of the risk the other holiday plants like holly, mistletoe and poinsettias pose. Keep these plants out of reach as they can make your dog very sick.
Holiday Food
If you plan to host out-of-town guests or have a party, encourage them to not give into those sad puppy eyes and avoid giving your dog people food. There are many items that are not healthy for your pup and best if you discourage table/scrap feeding from the start. Items to be cautious about are: onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, bread dough, sweets and anything containing Xylitol, and alcohol – the biggest food danger, which needs to be cautioned year round, is chocolate. All of these items consumed in excess could put a screeching halt to your holiday cheer, and replace it with worry. For a free list of toxins, you may want to bookmark the ASPCA website on your browser to keep this handy in the case of an emergency.
By taking a look around, maybe even on your hands and knees, you can get a closer look at what is in your dog’s view and what could be troublesome. Planning ahead can make a huge difference in keeping your holiday memories pleasant for you, your family, guests and your dog.
Happy holidays!
Guest Post provided by Dr. Susan Wright DVM on behalf of Dog Fence DIY the best resource for invisible fence alternatives
Disclosure: I will be getting $30 to donate to a charity of my choice.
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