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The holiday seasons is officially upon us! While this year is likely to look a little different than years’ past, there is one thing that won’t change: the food! Green Dog Pet Products has some helpful tips to keep your and your pet safe this holiday season.
Thanksgiving Safety Tips
As the winter holidays near, it is a good time to take a refresher course on pet safety during the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big November holiday for many people in the US, and with Thanksgiving there’s bound to be a turkey. Both cats and dogs are likely to be extremely interested in the turkey, and who can blame them? But even though our four-legged friends are carnivorous, turkey actually isn’t the best meat for them to consume. A few small, well cooked, skinless pieces of turkey should be OK, but the greasy skin can cause digestive upset, the bones pose both a choking and an obstruction hazard, and too much turkey can cause both vomiting and diarrhea.
Chocolate and Pets Do Not Go Together
It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on any chocolate in the house, sweets (pies and cakes, even if they aren’t chocolate, aren’t good for dogs and cats) as well as well-meaning relatives who may sneak your pet something from under the table. It’s a good idea to ask everyone at the table to refrain from feeding the animals, no matter how much they may beg! If you can’t trust your pet or your relatives to follow the rules, you may want to consider crating your dog or limiting your cat to spaces besides the kitchen and dining room.
All holiday goodies, whether chocolate gelt or candy canes, can cause digestive issues in pets and should be kept well out of reach.
Pets and Holiday Decorations
Moreover, lots of people put up Christmas decorations immediately after the Thanksgiving holiday has passed. Tinsel can be extremely hazardous to cats (they can choke on it and, if ingested, it can create intestinal blockages) and breakable ornaments, live fir trees, and string lights can all pose a danger if your dog is allowed to get too close to the tree.
If you look online, you’re likely to find tons of creative ways that pet parents have managed to keep their holiday decorations, particularly Christmas trees, safe from their curious dogs and cats. If your pet is a little too interested in the tree, you may want to consider putting it up on a table, putting a little gate around it, or skipping the decorations altogether (this is especially true for puppy and kitten owners!)
Some basic safety rules, mainly in the form of keeping tasty treats and decoration out of reach of our pet, will help keep everyone safe and happy during the month of November!
See more tips from Green Dog Dental here!