Tips for a Pet Safe Christmas

Follow these tips for a pet-safe Christmas and have a very merry Christmas.

Decorating

• Tinsel/Ribbon – Be careful of where you place tinsel/ribbon on the tree/around your home. When it’s within easy reach of your pets they could ingest it and may only be able to be removed via expensive surgery.
• Lights – Be careful with the placement of lights, too low and your pet could burn or shock themselves. If you put up Christmas lights outside your home. Make sure all the wires are firmly taped up and any electrical outlets are covered up.
• Ornaments – Any delicate ornaments on your tree need to be kept out of reach. Broken ornamental shards could get caught in your pet’s paws.
• Christmas Plants – Decorating your home with mistletoe, ferns, pine sap, poinsettias and holly, Be very careful. These plants are very toxic to pets.
• Candles – Keep any candles up high and away from any pets that could accidentally knock them over.
• Christmas Trees – Some pets may attempt to drink the water at the base of your real Christmas tree. This can be made worse if you add chemicals to the water for the benefit of the tree. Make sure this base is covered up at all times and out of reach of them.  If you have a real Christmas tree, be sure to keep an eye on the pine needles and clean up any stray ones before your pet has the chance to ingest them. Make sure the tree is firmly anchored and can’t be easily knocked over. Who knows what devastation your pet could cause if they accidentally brush past.

Family & Friends Visits

• When you have lots of family visiting, it may be best to keep your pets locked in a quiet, separate room to help with stress.
• If you are letting your pet roam around during the busy Christmas family gatherings. Make sure they have a place to which they can escape. Put toys, food, water, and a bed all in this area.
• If having people around, make sure they know the rules around your pet. Such as no feeding them and closing the door after themselves in case they decide to bolt.

Food

• You should know this already, but don’t give your pets any chocolate which is toxic to them. Be careful of chocolate treat decorations you may have hung up on the tree. We do have a chocolate treat category (obviously not your normal chocolate but pet-friendly chocolate)
• Don’t give your pets any leftover turkey bones. They can easily splinter and cause damage to your pets.

On the Big Day

• When unwrapping your presents, clear up any leftover wrapping paper or ribbon from the floor so that it’s not eaten!

We hope these tips for a pet-safe Christmas have been of use for you. We wish all our customers and viewers a very happy and merry Christmas.

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