Are Your a Parent and/or Pet Owner? Uncover Hazards You Never Thought of…
Though the holidays are a time full of families, fun and excitement, safety is always a key thing to remember, particularly if you have a pet or small children. Decorations, though beautiful, can actually prove to be quite harmful to your pets if attention and thought is not given when decking your halls this holiday season. Think about how you will decorate, and what you will decorate with. Here are a few things to be conscious of:
First on the list is tinsel and ribbon. This is not quite so much as a hazard to dogs as it is for cats. Cats like to play and bat at anything shiny, long, and has the slightest bit of movement. If tinsel or ribbon is ingested, this can cause the cat or dog to choke, vomit, and possibly have difficulty in digestion, and it sometimes even causes intestine blockage that can result in surgery.
Another holiday hazard is electrical cords. December is the month of lights. People put lights outside and inside their homes; they adorn their Christmas tree, fireplace mantle, stair banister, and sometimes even on other holiday plants. If an animal chews on an electrical cord, it can cause electrocution, which has the potential to be fatal. A good way to conceal these is think about where you place them; also, a rug can easily be strategically placed to keep those pets away from the power cords.
Ornaments and holiday knickknacks can also be harmful to your pets. An ornament swaying on the Christmas tree is open bait to any self-respecting cat. You don’t want your cat batting at the ornaments on the tree, because it could cause any number of disasters to occur. Also, because dogs are curious, it is a good idea to consider placing your ornaments higher on the tree so that you won’t have to worry about your pet getting a hold on an ornament and ingesting it. This could cause intestinal blockage, vomiting, or choking.
Holiday plants can also be hazardous and harmful for your pets. Cats especially like to chew on leaves of new and interesting holiday plants. Some holiday plants that can be poisonous to your pets include mistletoe, holly, and Jerusalem cherry. Particularly mistletoe and holly have berries that are extremely toxic if ingested. If the leaves or berries dry out and fall to the floor, it makes for the perfect opportunity for a dog to snatch it up, chew and swallow the berry. It has been a common belief for decades that poinsettia plants are highly toxic to pets and humans if eaten. However, recent scientific studies have shown that only large amounts of poinsettia consumption are harmful to animals and humans if consumed. Of course, it is always better to be on the safe side, and keep your beautiful poinsettia plants out of reach of your pets if possible.
Each year people look forward to decorating their homes for the holidays. Putting up a Christmas tree, decking your banisters and mantles with many different varieties of greenery and plants, and lighting your house inside and out is fun, but it can cause many hazards for your pets. Keep your house safe and sound during the holidays by banishing the holiday hazards in your home.
This article was provided by the authors at pet-super-store which is an online pet supplies store carrying dog beeper collars from petsafe and innotek.