| By :
Debbie Davis
The holidays can be dangerous days for pets. Routines change, the people they are exposed to are different, and foods and smells can be deadly. Here are 7 things you can do to help make the holidays safe for your pet. Warn Family and Friends---People who don't have pets, and even some who do, don't always know what foods it can or cannot have. If you intend to let your pooch mingle among the crowd (more about that later) let everyone know that food is only to be eaten by humans. Keep Them Out Of The Fray----Do your pet a huge favor and keep it safe. Keeping it away from guests also prevents young children, hard-headed children, and hard-headed adults from going against your wishes and doling out food that can range from harmful to deadly. This also prevents them from running, or flying out of the house when guests open the door unexpectedly. Small pets can escape being stepped on. Keep An Eye On Food---Many holiday foods such as chocolate, snacks high in sugar and salt, nuts, alcohol, avocados and others can be deadly. Pets left unattended for as little as a split second can result in irreversible problems. And as horrible as it to lose a pet anytime, it has to be worse during the holidays.. Protect Wires---Most holiday celebrations include decorating with lights. Make sure your wires are protected from sharp teeth, strong claws and insatiable curiosity. Hide them behind furniture, tape them down, or put them in plastic tubing to further insolate them. Avoid Choking Hazards---There are tons of items that surface during the holidays that can cause potential choking. Things like wire ornament hangers, marbles, broken bits of glass ornaments that go unnoticed on the floor, small toys and other items can be to intriguing for your pet not to explore. Keep the floor and the bottom of the tree safe by removing ornaments to higher branches. Beware of Plants---Some plants are poisonous to pets and pose a real health threat if ingested. Personally, I wouldn't risk it. To a pet, pine needles can be hypodermic-like and puncture the intestine while holly lilies can literally be the kiss of death. But if you must have them, make sure they are kept out of reach, and be vigilant about dead leaves that drop. Be sure to check with a certified nursery about other the safety of any other plants before bringing them into your home. Limit Access To Christmas Tree Water----Allowing pets to drink tree water is dangerous. Fertilizers and other pesticides may leech into the water and health problems or death when ingested. Stagnant water that sits will contain a high level of bacteria that can also cause problems for pets.
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