It’s natural for pets to be excited over the holiday season. Between grandparents sneaking table scraps and a tree seemingly filled with cat toys, it’s a Pandora’s Box for pets. Here are some things you can do to pet-proof your house for the holidays and avoid a trip to the emergency vet.
Many common holiday adornments like tinsel and salt-dough ornaments pose a risk to pets.
Tina Wismer is the lead director of toxicology for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She says the best way to prevent accidents is to keep curious pets away from decorations.
“ Yeah, so my favorite thing in my house to keep the cats and the dogs out of the tree is one of those little exercise pens or puppy pens. So basically my tree is behind a gate so they can't get to it, right?” Wismer said.
The ASPCA put together a list of common decorations dangerous to pets.
Beyond the decorations, the holiday season can be stressful for pets.
Janet Rose does philanthropy and communications for the Humane Society of Western Montana. She says holidays like the 4th of July get a lot of attention from concerned pet-owners. But winter holidays can also be overwhelming.
“ You're exposing your animals, probably, to a lot of new activity. So it's a big change,” She says.
Rose says pet-owners should prepare a quiet corner of the house for their animal to escape the chaos, know where to find the nearest emergency vet and keep its contact information easily available.
”And especially if you're going out of town, and if you're taking your pet, know where those clinics or veterinarians might be in that new location so that you can be prepared just in case,” Rose says.
That is one piece of advice that both Rose and Wismer emphasized — the best thing to do in case of an accident is call the closest emergency vet.