#WHSTips: Holiday Pet Safety

With the holidays right around the corner, even our pets should be able to enjoy them! Our Behaviour department has put together these #WHSTips and tricks to help keep your pets happy, healthy and safe during the holiday season:

1. Pets can feel stress too! Try to keep to your mealtime and exercise routines to ease the holiday stress.
2. Decorations can look like toys to pets; use caution and proper supervision when decorating. Skip the tinsel! Tinsel can be very dangerous for pets if ingested and can cause intestinal blockage. Closely monitor your pets around presents or distract them with pet-friendly treats while your family is opening presents.
3. Dinner scraps can have adverse effects on your dog, including contributing to conditions such as Pancreatitis. Remember to keep cooked bones, chocolate, candy, or baking out of reach, as these can be toxic and dangerous to pets.
4. Visitors can be scary! Keep a close watch on children around your pet. Remember to give your pets a safe space to go if they feel overwhelmed. This can be a kennel or a room they can escape to for quiet time without anyone following them. Pro-tip: giving them a Kong filled with frozen dog food or any long-lasting treat can help reduce their stress and play calming music to drown out loud noises.
   
5. Keep cords away from chewing pets by using cord protectors, hiding behind furniture or under rugs, or taping them down. Do not leave pets alone in rooms where cords are out.
6. Keep toxic plants out of reach (Most common: Azaleas, Amaryllis, Evergreens, Ivy, Lily, Juniper, Holly, Mistletoe, Chrysanthemums and Poinsettias), as well as water used for your Christmas tree.
7. Identification tags and microchips reunite families. Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information – particularly a microchip with up-to-date, registered information. That way, if they do sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you.
8. Plan in advance: Make sure you know how to get to your 24/7 veterinary clinic before an emergency.

From Christmas trees to holiday baking, your house will be transformed from a normal environment to one filled with sights, sounds, and smells that will have your pet ready to investigate. You can’t blame them for being curious, but you can take the proper steps to ensure they don’t get into anything that could lead to a vet visit over the holidays.