Holiday Safety Tips for Pets

Let’s end the year right with some pet safety reminders! The holidays are a time for celebration, but some traditions are dangerous for our four-legged friends.

Here are some tips:

• Beware of toxic foods. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, caffeine and alcohol are among the foods that can harm pets. Stick to pet-friendly foods to avoid a costly visit to the emergency veterinary hospital.
• Skip leftover bones. Cooked bones can splinter and harm your pets. The gristle and fat on leftover bones can wreak havoc on their stomachs.
• When dinner is served, distract your pets with their own treat. Distract your dog from begging at the dinner table or hiding at your feet anxiously waiting to grab any little morsel that drops to the floor with their own special treat. Maybe it’s a new made-for-pet chew bone or a Kong toy filled with a yummy treat.
• Set guest guidelines. Pets can be sensitive to loud noises, new people and an increase in activity. Often they will escape a house unnoticed when people are coming and going from your home. Make visitors aware of your pets, so they don’t leave doors open or feed them foods from the table that could be potentially dangerous.
• Avoid certain holiday décor. Some decorations can be a choking hazard. Keep them out of reach or avoid using them altogether.

As you’re making plans to safely enjoy New Years Eve in the midst of the pandemic, please keep in mind the strong recommendation to limit the number of people you celebrate with (preferably just members of your household) and to socially distance and wear your mask in the presence of other people. We’ve also confirmed humans have the ability to transmit COVID-19 pets. To protect your pets, COVID-19 positive patients should wear a mask around them as well.