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Pet Sitter Nanette Gordon: Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 9:41 AM
Holiday Pet Safety: Keep the Tinsel and Chocolate Away!
The holidays are fun but can be a stressful time for everyone, including your pets.
Pet safety is always important, but especially at holiday time.
All of the decorations, food, shopping & celebrations happening now can be stressful for us but also for our pets so pet safety is a priority! Like other holidays like Halloween that challenge pet safety, Christmas is no exception!
- Christmas tree pet safety: Avoid tinsel! Your pet
may think that it is a toy to play with and they may accidentally
swallow and choke on the tiny strings. Avoid decorating your tree with
popcorn or other food items and remove all edible gifts from under the
tree. You should also try to hang small and breakable ornaments out of
your pet’s reach (kitty delight!)
- No Chemicals: Keep chemicals out of tree’s water.
It may keep your tree fresh longer, but it can prove very harmful to
your pets. Do not allow your pet to drink the tree’s water because it
can get dirty very quickly & needles fall into the water dish. A
tight-fitting tree skirt over the tree stand may help to prevent this.
Keep fresh water available for drinking.
 - Secure Electric: Lights are very
inviting, not only to you and your neighborhood, but to your curious
pets as well. Make sure that all of your electrical connections and
outlets are secured and concealed. Tape electrical cords to the walls or
floors to ensure that your pet will not chew on them.
- Edible treats are a no-no for pet safety: Never
hang edible treats: unwrapped candy canes, chocolate wreathes, etc. in
dangerous places, such as near a fireplace or on a Christmas tree.
Stick with Milk Bones or Meow Town Catnip! Keep the 3 Musketeers, candy
canes and Hershey Kisses out of sight to guarantee pet safety!
- Holiday Plants Can Be Deadly: Poinsettias,
amaryllis, mistletoe, and holly are traditional and beautiful but they
are poisonous to pets. If ingested, they may cause vomiting, diarrhea,
or even more serious problems. Pet safety = silk plants?
- Avoid Over-Stimulation: Before your family celebrations, make sure that your pets have a safe, quiet area where they can rest.
- No Holiday Table Food: After you have had
your fill of holiday turkey, ham, chicken, and/or roast beef make sure
you throw those bones away – do not give them to your pet! Bones can
splinter easily and cause damage to your pet’s throat and intestines.
Bones can also become lodged in your pet’s throat, which may result in
your pet not being able to breathe. Remember to take the trash out right away - curious dogs and cats can get into the trash and rummage for scraps of food - causing a mess for you and danger for them!
- No Human Treats to insure Pet Safety: You
should also avoid feeding your pet chocolate, candy, and cookies, which
can be toxic to their health. Feeding your pet these products can
result in extreme vomiting and can make your pet very sick. (Save money
on Vet bills & carpet cleaner!) Don’t allow guests to feed your
pets.
- Discard Ribbons & Wrappings: Pet safety
dictates that after your gifts are opened, dispose of all plastic
wrappings, ribbons, and bows that can be easily swallowed by curious
pets and cause serious dangers and even death.
- Name Tags Please: Pets can sneak out
around guests or owners coming home with packages and leaving the door
open to make another trip! Make sure that all of your pets have proper
ID tags on at all times because if your pet were to become lost, you
would have a much greater chance of finding them if they have
identification.
About the Author: Nanette Gordon provides her personal pet sitting and house sitting services for Boca Raton and nearby Deerfield Beach all year long. Visit her website: http://nanettegordon.com for details.
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