Top Tips at Christmas

Posted on 2015-03-23 16:44:00

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There is nothing like the festive season to raise the spirits and bring your family together to celebrate and feast! But what about the four-legged family members?

At Christmas time we are presented with many potential hazards that can cause injury or illness to our pets. Here are our top tips to make sure that your pets stay safe and healthy and enjoy the merriment that is in abound at this time of year.

To Share or Not To Share the Feast?

Oh those sad longing eyes may look up at you and beg as much as they like but you need to avoid the temptation of sharing your Christmas dinner with your pet!

Avoid giving your pets cooked bones and cured meats as they can be damaging to their intestines. Other foods that are on the no go list include: onions, avocados, chocolate, nuts and grapes.

Make sure that you have some special treats on hand over Christmas so that you faithful companion doesn’t miss out on the fun.

Take care with Decorations
Those shiny dangling decorations like baubles and tinsel can be a great temptation for both cats and dogs alike, but sadly they can also be a choking hazard. Also, a lot of baubles are made of glass which can easily break and cause some painful cuts. Make sure that all of your decorations are out of reach from your curious pet.
Wrapping and ribbons can also prove to be fun for their playful nature but they can end up getting themselves tangled up and may hurt themselves if they wrap something around their neck.

Christmas Party Lights
Puppies, kittens and rabbits are very inquisitive, they love to explore; so it is important to take care with party lights! Remember – the cord to the transformer is 240 volts, it is imperative that you keep it well out of reach.

Decorating with Plants
If you are going to decorate your home with plants it is important to remember that some plants such as red cyclamen and lilies can be harmful to pets, so before you buy any decorative foliage make sure you find out if it is potentially harmful to pets.
This rings true for real Christmas trees as they can be treated with preservatives, don’t let your dog drink from the water in the Christmas tree stand.

Alcohol is Toxic to Animals
Keep all alcohol that is being enjoyed by your family and friends over the festive season well out of reach from all pets as alcohol can be potentially fatal if your pet manages to consume any.

But most importantly – enjoy yourselves and include your pets in the family activities; it is a time to celebrate and enjoy the mayhem that surrounds the merriment of the festive season.

If you do however have a pet that has a tendency to shy away from large gatherings, make sure they have a nice quiet place to spend the day where they won’t get hurt or frightened by the festivities going on around them.

It is also a good idea to give them plenty of food, water and toys for entertainment. You might want to also keep the area locked and make sure that you check on them every now and then to see that they are happy and doing well.