Remembering Your Pets During the Holidays

Leave your pets out of your holiday cooking.  It’s pretty tempting to start giving scraps of food to your dog but you need to think before feeding.

There are a lot of foods that are being passed around during the holiday season that can be harmful to dogs, not to mention that the rich and flavorful foods can be disastrous for their digestive system, as well.

As pet owners, part of the responsibility is knowing what can hurt our animals, especially during the holiday season because the risk increases quite a bit during that time. Most people know some of the basics about what can be toxic to their animals, but in case you don’t you will want to keep reading.

Many of the items on the list can be pretty surprising and we don’t think of them as risky in regards to our pets. Here’s a shortlist of how to keep your fur babies safe this holiday season.

The Naughty List for Pets

Human Foods

Onions, raisins, grapes, chocolate, and garlic are all toxic to dogs. They can cause issues like red blood cell damage, kidney failure, liver issues, hyperthermia, or heart problems. There is a multitude of other foods that can cause digestive issues and irritation as well.

Save your money on costly vet bills, save your carpet from accidents, and save yourself the hassle of extensive cleanup procedures and avoid the temptation to give your dog or cat human food.

Although dogs are more often the culprit, cats and dogs can sometimes work in tandem to get foods off the counter, so make sure everything is out of reach.

Plants

Mistletoe, poinsettias, and holly are all incredibly toxic to animals. This is especially concerning when it comes to cats as they tend to be more curious about plants than dogs do.

Lilies and other Christmas flowers have also been known to pose health risks to pets. You have several options; skip the real plants and opt for silk arrangements, ask for pet-friendly bouquets, or make sure they’re completely out of reach.

Even your Christmas tree could be a problem, as the water in the stands can be filled with pesticides or fertilizers. Keep your pets away from your tree if you can.

Medications

As more people enter our house, space decreases. We often have company for the holidays and if they come from pet-free homes, they may not know how curious pets can be. Warn your guests that they need to ensure that their medications are kept out of the animals’ reach.

Give them some space in the bathroom to put their meds or advise them to close the door to their room. Human medications, when consumed by animals, may cause an overdose in dogs and cats.

Alcohol

During the holidays, alcohol tends to flow a bit more freely. It is for this reason that we need to be extremely diligent about where our pets are when we’re drinking. Alcohol can be deadly to pets as it can cause them to slip into a coma and/or die. Keep bottles and drinks out of your animals’ reach and never underestimate the curiosity of nosey pets.

Sweet Treats

Keep gum, candy, cookies, cakes, and pies out of the reach of your animals as many of those products either contain chocolate or a chemical called Xylitol. Both of these substances are a problem for dogs and cats, but they will be attracted to these items because they smell good and taste even better.

Make sure everything is out of the way of their prying noses.  It’s really easy to feed scraps from your plate over to your dog or leave things out so that the cat may get them.

Keep Your Pets Safe

It’s also really simple for a dog or cat to knock over trash cans, push things off counters, or reach things they shouldn’t, so during this time of year, you need to pay extra close attention to your pets. If anything seems awry with their behavior, such as lethargy or gastrointestinal upset, keep an eye on the behavior and get them to the vet if things don’t change.