Christmas is a wonderful time of year! There are presents, delicious food and we get to spend time with family and friends. But Christmas can be a hazardous and stressful time for your fur babies. We wanted to share some tips to keep your pets safe and happy over the festive season.
How to keep your pup safe this Christmas
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Provide them with a safe space.
Dogs can easily become overwhelmed by a busy home; visitors, music, flashing lights, crackers, and décor. Create a quiet, safe space where they can curl up with their favourite toys and a cosy blanket. Try and keep their routine as normal as possible.
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Festive foods you shouldn’t share.
Although they are giving you those puppy dog eyes, try and avoid giving them some of your Christmas dinner, it can be very rich for their tummy. Some human foods can be toxic and need to be avoided; chocolate, mince pies, Christmas pudding, raisins, onions including onion gravy, grapes, olives, Macadamia nuts and alcohol. Cooked bones can be a choking hazard.
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Decorate your tree with pet-friendly baubles, lights, and tinsel.
'Tis the season to decorate your home with special beautiful baubles and garlands that sparkle, however many items can hold hidden dangers for our pups. Avoid using glass baubles and fairy lights to decorate the tree, as it can injure your pup if it breaks. Make use of some plastic decorations where possible and keep fairy lights out of reach.
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Keep Christmas plants out of paws reach.
Festive Christmas plants such as Poinsettia, Mistletoe, Cyclamen, Lilies and Holly can be potentially poisonous to your pup, so keep them out of paws reach or try to make use of dog friendly plants. The needles that drop off real Christmas trees are also sharp, potentially causing cuts and internal damage if swallowed.
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Keep wrapped presents out of reach if unsupervised.
Brightly coloured bows and presents wrapped under the tree may be part of the Christmas celebration, but they are also very tempting to chew on for a pup which can cause them to choke.
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Avoid candles and diffusers unless pet-friendly.
Many of us love a scented candle or diffuser to make our homes smell of Christmas delights, however, most modern candles are made with Paraffin wax. Burning paraffin wax releases potentially dangerous chemicals which can pose a risk when inhaled by your pup. Phthalates are extensively used in the creation of fragrances for diffusers and candles, which can also be harmful for them.
Take the time to think about how you can keep your pup safe, stress-free, and happy over the Christmas, this will allow the whole family to enjoy the festivities together. If your pup does eat something they shouldn’t, we recommend you seek advice from your vet as soon as possible.
Phoebe and I wish you all a relaxing, fun time, making special memories with your loved ones.
