Five Holiday Pet Dangers

With the holidays approaching fast, it’s time to take some common sense precautions to make sure that all of your family members have a joyeux Noel.

Thinking and Driving — With all of the hectic dashing from party-to-party and last minute shopping bacchanalia, “Rover” might just slip through the cracks. So, before you rush out the front door to yet another eggnog fest, make sure your canine buddy is inside where it’s warm and toasty.

What have you done for me Chocolately? — Everyone on the planet knows that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but, with so much of the brown menace floating about during Festivus, accidents can happen. An oft-neglected source of chocolate poisoning is the packages that arrive on your doorstep nearly every day this time of year. Remember to keep all unopened packages out of reach of your canine. You may not know that there’s yummy chocolate in one of those kraft-paper wrapped boxes, but Fido “nose.”

Under the Mistletoe — This is the time of year when we bring toxic pants — that serve no useful purpose — into our homes. Mistletoe, holly and poinsettia plants, although not life-threatening, are toxic to our four-legged pals. BTW, a kiss under safer plastic mistletoe is not at all like showering with a raincoat!

The Powder is Bitchin’! — All that fluffy white stuff is not only nice to look at, but it’s fun to play in too. But snow can be very hard on dog paws and, when it melts and refreezes, it can be as sharp as a knife. Inspect your dog’s paws regularly when you return from your icy jaunts and keep your outdoor sessions short to avoid frostbite. And speaking of frostbite, if you choose to partake in your dog’s favorite sport in all that white stuff, choose a disc that remains soft and flexible in colder temperatures. Hyperflite’s FrostBite and Jawz HyperFlex discs are perfect when the temps dip into the teens.

Tinsel Schmensel — Just about everything on or under your holiday tree is of interest to your pet, and very little of it is digestible. Just because your pet hasn’t shown interest in the tree trimmings in your presence, doesn’t mean he won’t go hog wild if given the unsupervised opportunity. Keep a closed door between your “humble bumble” and your evergreen when you’re joyfully preoccupied with other tasks.

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