Three Pet Safety Tips For The Holidays

In the U.S., 36.5% of households have dogs and another 30.4% own cats. Local veterinarians recommend at least one trip to the vet per year for healthy pets. Avoiding additional trips and high bills at 24 hour animal hospitals depends on keeping pets safe year-round -- and especially during the holidays when there are more hazards than any other time of year. What are the best ways to keep pets safe this holiday season?

A Note On Christmas Decorations
Unfortunately, plenty of Christmas decorations can pose serious dangers to pets. Avoid a run-in with emergency vet care by reevaluating some poor decorating decisions. Skip the tinsel, for example. Cats may ingest tinsel, which can ultimately get lodged in their intestines and cause serious harm. It's also a bad idea to keep fragile, glass ornaments on high Christmas tree branches, out of reach. Not only can the ornaments fall down and break, pets may also get cut or eat small glass pieces.

Christmas Trees And Seasonal Flowers Pose Serious Hazards
It is also critical to properly secure and anchor Christmas trees in their stands. Dogs and cats may knock over trees when they are wagging their tails, running by, or even climbing up the tree when you're not looking. Poinsettias and lilies may be fatal to cats; other flowers, such as holly, mistletoe, ivy, hibiscus, and amaryllis, may cause serious symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. If you are uncertain about holiday flower arrangements, ask a veterinarian or veterinarian assistant for more information.

Keep An Eye On Holiday Treats
A good deal of holiday treats, like candies and cookies, have one thing in common: they all contain chocolate. Some varieties of baking chocolate can kill dogs. Others can make them seriously ill. Cats can also become very sick after eating chocolate.

Local veterinarians caution pet owners to be especially mindful and careful during the holidays. Reliably anchor trees, choose Christmas decorations wisely, and keep holiday treats with chocolate out of reach.