Festive Care Advice for Pet Owners
The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner! While December can be filled with plenty of eating, drinking and spending time with your loved ones, it can also come with many hazards for your furry family members.
Even though there can be so much going on and to think about, it’s important to make sure our furry family members are having a safe and happy festive season. So what should you be keeping an extra keen eye on over the holidays?
Choking hazards
Decking the halls with your favourite decorations is almost a given at this time of year. It’s a surefire way to get yourself into the Christmas spirit! However, many of the staples in our holiday decor can be a possible alarm bell for your pet.
- Tinsel: this is particularly a watch-out for our more playful pets, who might want to play with tinsel that they find around the house! Tinsel can not only make for serious health issues if swallowed by your pet, your pal could also get tangled and be at risk of breathing difficulties. For a more pet-friendly decoration option, and something that could get the whole family involved, you could consider making paper decorations!
- Ornaments: many ornaments can become choking hazards for curious pets. If they shatter, if your ornaments are made of materials like plastic or glass, they can be a hazard in their own right. Try shopping around for shatterproof ornaments made with the likes of felt and wood.
Fire hazards
The holiday season can mean that there are more items around the home that can turn into a fire risk if you don’t take certain precautions, or keep an extra eye on your furry pals.
For example, pets who love to play with and chew on cords can find themselves with even more options to gnaw on over the holidays (string fairy lights or light up Santa, anyone?). Make sure they’re out of reach!
And are you really enjoying Christmas carols if they’re not by candlelight? Consider switching out real candles for electronic candles and lights so that you can celebrate safely and reduce chances for your pet to be burnt or to knock over a candle in amongst the festive frivolity.
Poisonous foods
We all know that one of the best things about the holiday season is all of the amazing food that you’re able to enjoy for days on end. But because this can often mean that your pet is surrounded by the smells and tastes of new foods, they may be even more intrigued to sneak a bite or two.
You may also find that guests that come over to your place during the festive season may innocently try to feed your pal food from the Christmas lunch table and not realise that they’re putting your pet at risk!
Some Christmas specialties to keep an eye out for are:
- Chocolate - we know this is one of the most common ones to know, but Christmas can mean there is more chocolate in our kitchens, dining rooms and even under the tree as a gift! The caffeine and theobromine in chocolate can be a fatal combination for your pet so make sure to keep them away.
- Christmas stuffing - the high fat content, and the use of ingredients like onion and garlic, does not agree with our pets and can be a source of health issues.
- Fruit cake & mince pies - dried fruit like raisins, which are often found in fruit cakes and mince pies, can lead to kidney failure in pets, even in small amounts!
- Candy canes - not only can this festive staple be a choking hazard, sugary lollies like these can lead to nasty symptoms for our pets.
- Cooked bones - even though your pet may be treated to a few raw bones for Christmas, cooked bones can be more likely to splinter and injure your pet's mouth, and cause internal damage.
We all know that in the flurry of holiday activity, something can happen in a flash, so it’s important to not be too hard on yourself and act quickly if your pet has eaten a dangerous food. Look out for signs like vomiting, excessive drooling, diarrhoea, increased lethargy or vocalisation. If you spot these, reach out to an emergency vet as soon as possible.
Over-stimulating environment
While festive celebrations can be exciting for our more social pets, it can also be a very overwhelming environment - with lots of unfamiliar noises, movements and people. This may become even more overwhelming for older pets or for pets who struggle with their mobility, vision or hearing, as they can feel more confused or trapped.
It’s only natural that you want your pet to be a part of the occasion, and that your guests may want to say hello, however, it’s so important for your pal to feel like they have a safe space to escape to if they need it.
Provide them with safe hiding spots like an isolated pet pen, cat caves, or even just one of their favourite familiar rooms in the house. As long as it’s a space where they can take some quiet time on their own and return to the festivities if and when they want!
If your pet is known to be anxious, you could consider calming supplements to help with overwhelm on the big day. These can come as easily chewable treats, oils, and even pet-friendly home diffusers and sprays, like this one from Adaptil.
Be mindful of summer heat
If you’re celebrating Christmas in the southern hemisphere, it’s worth keeping an eye on how your pal is coping in the heat. As they age, your pet can find it even harder to regulate their temperature which means they’re more likely to overheat. Simple steps like making sure that there are a lot of sources of water that are easy for them to access, taking them for walks during the cooler parts of the day or even trying your hand at pet-friendly icecream or iceblocks can be easy ways to keep your pet cool and healthy this summer.
We’ve actually written a full blog post on lots of ways to keep your pet cool in the warmer weather - you can check this out here.
By being a bit more mindful of what your pet is getting up to this festive season, you can make sure that this truly is a magical time for everyone. We know it can be a hectic time of year, so make sure to take time out to spend quality time with your pal and document such a special time of year. You’ll treasure the memories for years to come!
