Protecting Your Pet From Common Holiday Hazards
While we often think about all the things that go into the Christmas and holiday season that we have to get done, such as the shopping, meal planning, wrapping gifts, decorating and so forth, for those with pets, need to be thinking about the safety of their pets! Believe it or not, there are tons of pets who are injured during the Christmas and holiday seasons. Some of these injuries come from eating ornaments off of the tree…other times, it comes from the harsh weather that winter climates bring.
So, how can you ensure your pet is safe this Christmas and holiday season?
- Keep pets out of trees! Cats are known for chewing into the light cords, which can lead to an electrical shock. While this may not kill the cat, it can definitely hurt them. On the other hands, dogs are known for pulling off ornaments, chewing into them and then being rushed to the vet when they ate plastic or glass that could harm them. The key is to keep these pets out of the tree. One method you can use is to ensure this tree is in easy viewing of the household members so they can reprimand any pet that is getting into this. Other people prefer to put up children gates around their tree during the Christmas and holiday season to deter pets from getting into it.
- Pay attention to the weather if you have an animal that spends their time outside. If it is cold for you…it will be cold for the animal as well. This also means paying attention to the ice that may form on the blacktop as dogs and cats can easily fall and hurt themselves, just like pet owners! Consider investing in a sweater for your animal that may want to spend more time outdoors than inside, but ultimately, you will want to bring them inside when temperatures drop.
- Keep presents out of reach. While you may not be able to put gifts under the tree this Christmas and holiday season, you can find other inventive ways to put these out. Often pets want to investigate, and this is where you will find pets eating wrapping paper or even bows, which can cause digestive issues. Store these gifts on top of a table or even keep them in a closet right before they are given.
- Don’t forget well checkups, which can be easy to do with how busy you are during the Christmas and holiday season. Stay on top of the pets health, and get them into the vet if it is needed for immunizations or the like.
Pets in a home are just like having an extra family member in the house. But, you have to make sure that you take a few extra steps to ensure their safety during the Christmas and holiday season so that when the new year rolls around, you still have your pets in great health and ready to take on the new year.