Keeping Pets Safe for the Holidays

Happy holidays and season greetings! With all the hussle and bussle of all that we have to do in preparation for all our holiday festivities let's not forget to keep our beloved furry family members safe during the holiday season. There are many hazards that await our innocent and unsuspecting canine and feline companions that we may take for granted. Please keep in mind some of the following to keep your pets safe during the holidays:
1) Your Christmas tree may be a thing of beauty that you are enjoying but may be too much temptation for your cat to climb or your dog and cat to use as a new toy store to grab ornaments from to play with or even try to eat! So, take precautions to keep them either away from the tree or at least not have access to it while you aren't home.
2) Oraments can be ingested by pets they can also get entangled in garlands, ribbons and other long string like wrapping items that could end up choking them. So please keep these items safely tucked away when you aren't using them.
3) Chocolate is a girl's best friend but not a dog's. In fact, chocolate, raisins, and onions are all lethal to dogs. And, artificial sweeteners, even in the smallest amounts, are very deadly to cats and dogs as well.
3) Heaters should never be left unattended especially while away from the house. And, make sure you have your local gas company come out each year to check your gas lines and gas fireplaces to make sure there aren't any carbon monixide leaks that could be a silent but deadly killer for not only you but your pets.
4) Christmas lights should be left off when not at home due to the fire hazard but also all the energy they are using unecessarily.
5) Make sure you keep your home at a safe and comfortable temperature for your furry family members. Remember their body temperatures are a few degrees higher than ours so they should be ok between the temperatures of 60-70 degrees.
6) Even though the weather is cooler in the winter months it is still important that your pets are well hydrated. Don't forget to leave them plenty of clean drinking water while you are out shopping or away at work.

Well, I think that's it for now. I just wanted to leave you with a few things to consider about keeping your pets safe during the holiday months. Enjoy this festive time of year with your family and friends as well as your furry, feathered and scaly family members as well.

And remember, life is short, wag more, bark less,

Doggie Diva Deb