Keeping your Fur Baby Safe this Holiday Season

We all love the holiday season… fancy decorations, a fresh cut tree, and sweets baking in the oven.  While it’s easy to get caught up in the joy of the giving season, it’s also important to keep some basic safety tips in mind when it comes to our furry family members.  Here are a few tips to keep your holiday bright:

Festive Plants

Poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe immediately come to mind when it comes to this time of year, but did you know all of these plants can be poisonous if ingested?  Small amounts will generally lead to gastrointestinal upset, but large quantities can endanger your fur baby’s health.  Take a look at the following page to learn about more toxic plants.

Christmas Tree

The centerpiece of the holiday décor has a lot of areas that you should keep in mind for safety.  Here are a few of the easiest safety tips to implement:

1. Skip the tinsel as this can block intestines if consumed.
2. Avoid edible decorations.  Those classic popcorn strings and homemade cookie ornaments are cute, but an unnecessary temptation to the powerful little noses of our fur babies.  Food is food, right?  Whether on our plate or a tree!
3. Block access to the water basin.  A lot of people use tree food or drop an aspirin in the water to help keep the tree healthy, but all your fur baby sees is a new water bowl.  I love to use press and seal around the tree stand.  I use one specific section to easily open and close when I’m topping off the water.

Gifts

Have you ever wrapped up a special treat for your fur baby, placed it under the tree, only to find it opened and enjoyed earlier than you had intended?  Consider placing treats and other tempting items in a ziplock bag before wrapping to help hide its luring smell.  I tend to keep especially fragrant items such as catnip toys behind a closed door until it’s time to open gifts.

Another tip is to skip the ribbon, just like tinsel, this normal-looking toy can cause a block in the intestines.  Instead, opt for bigger bows that are less appealing to your fur baby.

If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, please reach out to theASPCA for guidance 888.426.4435.

What are some other ways that you keep your fur babies safe during the holidays?