Christmas is just around the corner. It is a fun and joyous occasion for the family – including your dog! However, as much fun and excitement as it is for your dog, it can also be hazardous. This just means you and your family are going to have to take extra precautions for the safety of your dog. Here is a quick guide from us at Pet Lovers Centre to keep your dogs safe this Christmas!
Christmas tree
Christmas trees aren’t toxic to dogs but their needles can irritate your dog’s mouth, get stuck in their paws, and cause internal problems if too much has been ingested. Although it is extremely rare for a dog to ingest enough of the tree to cause any real issues, it’s better to be safe than sorry as every dog is different.
Fairy lights
It’s a no-brainer that the twinkling lights wrapped around your Christmas tree are fascinating to your dog and are like an invitation for them to play with the lights! This is extremely dangerous as your dog could get electrocuted or even get tangled up in the wires. Therefore, it is important that you cable-tie any loose wires and ensure that the main switch is turned off whenever your dog is left alone at home.
Tinsels and ornaments
Try to keep your Christmas tree decorations as simple and dog-friendly as possible. Avoid using tinsels as they can cause blockage in your dog’s stomach if consumed. When picking ornaments for your tree, avoid glass baubles. Glass baubles may shatter if your dog manages to get his paws on them. Instead, you can opt for non-toxic plastic ornaments. Moreover, avoid hanging any edible ornaments such as chocolate or candy canes. Chocolates and candy canes are extremely toxic to dogs and should be avoided at all costs.
Presents under the Christmas tree
It’s a Christmas tradition to keep wrapped presents under the family tree and everyone but your dogs know that they are not to be touched until Christmas day. Most presents consist of hazardous items such as wrapping paper, batteries, toys, and silica gel.
Ultimately, when it comes to your Christmas trees and their decorations, you could just install a gate or fence around your tree. This way, you get to have the Christmas tree of your dreams while keeping your dog safe!
Christmas foods
There are a lot of Christmas foods that are dangerous and toxic to dogs. Foods such as chocolate, Christmas pudding and mince pies, macadamia nuts, poultry bones, grapes, onions, blue cheese, alcohol, fatty foods, sultanas, and raisins. Moreover, it’s important to remember to properly dispose of any moldy leftovers, if any, as they can be very toxic to dogs.
And if we may, we would like to suggest a few suitable dog treats you can feed your canines with here. There are many brands and products that you can choose from, and if we may suggest again, brands like Little Big Paw, Royal Canin, Burp, Back2Nature and Fish 4 Dogs are our best-sellers.
And should you ever need further information or consultation from our professionally-trained staff on how to keep your dogs safe, feel free to find out more on our website and we would be more than happy to assist you in ensuring the best is given to your pets.
We hope this guide was helpful to all pet lovers, and that you’ll have a safe and joyous Christmas!
