This holiday season will be different from most, but that doesn’t mean you can let your guard down when it comes to the holidays and your pets.
While you won’t be having a huge holiday dinner this year with extended family, people still may drop by with gifts and food. If they come through your gate, make sure they close it behind them. If they come into the house, make sure they close the door behind them, or that you dog is secured.
But there are other holiday pitfalls to be aware of. Here are a few.
1. Your Christmas tree doesn’t normally pose a risk, but those decorations can pose a problem for your dog. Make sure to keep tinsel and breakables out of reach as well as any decoration your pet may find attractive. They can all pose choking hazards.
2. Don’t keep any edibles under the tree. Dogs have been known to tear open boxes of chocolates and eat them all, which are highly toxic. And if they are chocolates with liqueurs, they pose an added risk. So if it’s edible, don’t put it under the tree.
3. You may want to share your holiday dinner with your pups, but that’s probably not a good idea. Remember that these foods are highly toxic. They are
- Grapes
- Onions
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Macadamia nuts
- Xylitol (a sweetener used in baking and found in some peanut butters)
4. If you have a real tree, keep your dog away from the tree water. It can be mildly toxic. If you have a poinsettia, holly, or mistletoe, keep those away from your pooch too. They can all cause gastrointestinal issues.
These are a few tips to keep your holiday season safe. And from all of us at Winnipeg Lost Dog Alert, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a safe, happy, and healthy 2021!