It's the start Christmas season once again and what a great way to say that "It's Christmas!" in our homes and bring joy this holidays than to erect a Christmas Tree in the living room. But do you stop and think if these trees are safe for your pet?
Are Christmas Trees a Danger to Your Dog?
A symbol of joy during the holidays but Christmas trees can cause dangerous hazards to your dog. Most dogs are drawn to the allure of the needle, the lights, gift wrappings, and the ornaments - these things can cause them serious injuries. Here are the ways on how to keep your trees dog-friendly:
Keep the mistletoes out of reach
You can still keep the tradition of kissing below the mistletoe but do keep it out of reach from your furry friend. According to ASPCA, mistletoe can cause cardiovascular problems and holly when ingested can cause nausea and diarrhea.
Watch out for those wires
Don't string the bottom of your tree with Christmas lights as it could burn your pet. Tie those cords to the wall and make sure to check them for puncture marks regularly. Dogs can gnaw on those electrical cords that can receive shocks.
Use dog-friendly ornaments
Don't use glass ornaments as your dog might knock them off and injure themselves. Keep small ornaments out of your dog's reach as swallowing it could be fatal. Moreover, the chemicals or materials used in them could be dangerous to your pet as well.
Needles and tree water
Christmas tree needles and tree water are the most dangerous part of the tree for your pet. Don't let them chew or ingest fallen needles. According to PetMD, these are toxic depending on your dog's size or how much your dog ingests it. Tree water contains fertilizers, pesticides, and preservatives that could be harmful to your pet when ingested.
Artificial Trees
When using artificial trees, remember that it becomes brittle over time particularly if you've been using the tree for years. The small parts of plastic could break apart which could easily cause intestinal blockage if your dog ingests it.
Other Ways to Keep Your Dog Safe
Keep sweets out of dog's reach
Those sweets that we love to eat during the holiday season can actually make our dogs sick particularly if there are sugar, chocolate, and xylitol when eaten in large amounts.
Keep alcohols away from dogs
Make sure to keep unattended alcohols out of dog's reach. When ingested, your pet could become ill, weak or even cause respiratory failure.
Throw away leftovers
The fatty foods, spicy foods, and even the bones shouldn't be fed to your pet. Fatty foods can lead to inflammation of the pancreas. Spicy foods can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, and even dehydration. Bones from chicken, turkey or fish could be unsafe for your pet as it can lodge to your pet's throat or cause splinters that could lead to costly surgery or even death.
Let them have a quiet time
The noise and the commotion that come about at holiday parties can make your dogs overstimulated or worse, fearful. This can often result in aggression in dogs.
Give your dog a safe place to retreat, have a quiet time or relax for a while.