Holiday Safety Tips with Petsecure’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Colleen Skavinsky
Happy Holidays to All! My dog, Maisey, is a long-haired Weimaraner and loves to bound and frolic in fresh snow. She figures our visitors are coming into our home specifically to play with her. Like many pets, she is quite enamored by our Christmas tree. You know you are a pet parent when the bottom quarter of your tree is bare of decorations! Pre-planning your decorating and entertaining will help ensure your pets stay happy and healthy throughout the holiday season.
Decorating Tips
I recommend that you keep all fragile decorations out of a pet’s reach and be mindful of lights and electrical cords. Dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits may chew on cords and can burn their mouths or even be electrocuted in severe circumstances. Top-heavy or unstable tabletop ornaments may be in danger of getting knocked over by an enthusiastic puppy or kitten. Ferrets and birds are attracted to sparkly items. Cats are notorious for playing with and swallowing tinsel or garland. The material can get caught in the stomach or intestines resulting in the need for emergency exploratory surgery on Christmas Eve. Pet-proof your home and avoid unnecessary expense and tragedy during this festive time of year.
Food and Plants to Avoid
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association offers several tips about what foods your dog or cat needs to avoid at www://canadianveterinarians.net/HolidayTip. Turkey bones can splinter and lodge in the throat or further down the digestive tract. Fatty foods can cause a condition known as pancreatitis which may be life-threatening in susceptible patients. Chocolate, baked goods containing xylitol, grapes and raisins, raw yeast dough, macadamia nuts, and alcohol can be toxic to both dogs and cats and should be avoided completely. Plants like poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe (even Christmas tree water) may be harmful to cats and dogs. If you notice your furry friend chewing plants, check with your local veterinary hospital or Pet Poison Helpline at www.petpoisonhelpline.com for specific information.
Keeping Your Pet Happy
The holidays can be very hectic for the people in our lives, let alone our furry loved ones. Anxious dogs may prefer to be separated from all the excitement and kept in their kennels or a quiet room. Try to organize festivities and time out of the house around your dog or cat’s feeding and exercise schedules.
Gift Ideas for your Furry Friends
Are you looking for some safe and suitable gift ideas for your pet or for pets of friends and family? Here are a few considerations to keep in mind. Does this particular dog or cat have food allergies or sensitivities? Are they known to chew (and possible swallow) every single toy they receive to bits? Do you really want to give a dog fuzzy slipper chew toys that resemble your own fuzzy definitely-not-available-for-chewing slippers?
The makers of Tuffie Toys (www.tuffietoys.com ) grade the destructibility of their toys for vigorous chewers. Maisey loves her stuffed dog bone, but their line of stuffed sea creatures and dinosaurs is adorable.
The Pawhaus Boutique (www.pawhauspetboutique.com) is a Calgary-based online store for nifty pet-wear and gift ideas. Check out the Big Sky Christmas Stockings and Musher’s Secret pad wax for active snow dogs.
Pet lovers know that cats have their own unique outlook on life. If there’s nothing to stalk or hunt, a cat might as well take a nap. Catit activity toys (www.ca-en.hagen.com/Catit) can help prevent boredom and weight gain in sedentary cats by giving them an alternative to napping.
The greatest gift you can ever give your cat or dog is the gift of security! With gift certificates from Petsecure, a current policyholder would be happy to receive this gift – every little bit helps! While for an uninsured pet, a gift certificate would be the perfect thing to get them started! As we know, accidents and illness are beyond our control!
Another great gift of security is with proper identification. In the event your pet is ever lost, identification is the best way to ensure quickly recover and return home. There are a variety of stylish I.D. tags and collars to choose from in any local pet store. Microchips and tattoos are a permanent form of identification. Every pet, especially cats, need to be identified. Holiday visitors can inadvertently allow a pet outside into the cold. Cats have a tendency to run first, think later. If they have been kept strictly indoors, cats have a more difficult time finding their way home and are more likely to seek shelter some distance away. A microchip or tattoo will help a veterinary hospital or local shelter contact you as soon as your pet has been identified.
Remember that the holiday season is about sharing our time with our loved ones. Your cat will enjoy extra snuggles under the covers on a cold, winter day. Your dog will love the gift of an extra walk in the dog park. Maisey has already pulled my winter boots out of the closet to chew, ummm, for our romp in the snow! Happy holidays and all the best during the festive season to you and your family!