7 Ways to Make the Holidays Safer for Pets: Holiday Pet Safety Crash Course

​Nothing can spoil holiday cheer like an emergency visit to a veterinary clinic. These seven tips can help prevent a holiday disaster with your pets.

7 Ways to Make The Holidays Safer for Pets

1. Keep people food out of the reach of your pet, and ask your guests to do the same.

2. Make sure your pet doesn't have any access to treats, especially those containing chocolate, xylitol, grapes/raisins, onions or other toxic foods.

3. Don't leave your pet alone in the room with lit candles, a decorated tree or potpourri.

4. Keep holiday plants (especially holly, mistletoe and lillies) out of reach of pets.

5. Consider leaving the tinsel off your tree if you have a cat.

6. Secure your Christmas tree to keep it from falling over if your dog bumps it or your cat climbs it. Hanging lemon-scented car air fresheners in the tree may deter your cat from climbing it.

7. Provide a safe place for your pet to escape the excitement (such as a kennel, crate, perching place, scratching post shelf or hiding place) if you’re entertaining guests. If your pet is excitable or scared, consider putting your pet in another room with some toys and a comfortable bed.

Plan in advance

Make sure you know how to get to your 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic before there's an emergency. Talk with your veterinarian in advance to find out where you would need to take your pet, and plan your travel route so you're not trying to find your way when stressed. Always keep these numbers posted in an easy-to-find location in case of emergencies:

• Your veterinarian's clinic phone number

• 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic

• ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 1-888-426-4435 (A fee may apply.)

If you’re a client of ours at River Landings Animal Clinic, additional numbers to make note of are:

• Animal ER - (941) 355-2884

• Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance - (941) 592-5131

• 24/7 Pet Poison Control Center - (855) 764-7661

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Pet Poison Prevention: Toxins in the Living Room

While your living room may be one of your pet’s favorite places to hang out, it can also be one of the most dangerous! Be cognizant of these common living room dangers and make sure to follow these helpful poison proofing tips.

Learn about your plants! Some common household plants may be toxic to pets (and not people). For example, lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis spp.) are especially poisonous to cats, so quickly eliminate them from any bouquets. The ingestion of just 1-2 petals can be fatal to a cat. Always consult our Top 10 Poisonous Plants list before buying new plants for your home.

Keep home fragrance products, such as simmer pots of liquid potpourri, well out of reach. These products may cause chemical burns if ingested.

Never spray aerosols or any heavily fragranced products around caged birds. They are especially sensitive to any airborne products.

Keep ashtrays and smoking cessation products such as nicotine chewing gum or patches out of reach. Even cigarette butts contain enough nicotine to cause poisoning in pets.

Be careful with batteries! Dogs enjoy chewing on batteries and battery-containing devices such as remote controls and cell phones. If ingested, they can cause serious chemical burns.

Hang up your purse! Pets love to dig through purses and backpacks which often contain potential pet poisons such medications, cigarettes or sugar-free gum with xylitol.

Even with the best planning and intentions, our pets will occasionally be exposed to toxic substances in the living room. If you suspect your pet has had a toxic exposure call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately as time is of the essence. It is not always safe to induce vomiting or administer other home remedies. Seek counsel before taking action.

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