Your dog is part of your family, and that makes his or her presence important for a complete holiday celebration. However, the holidays bring with them a lot of hazards for your dog that you need to protect him or her from to keep the whole family healthy into the new year.
The following are five holiday season mistakes you need to avoid for the sake of your dog:
Inadequately securing your Christmas tree
Christmas trees are full of curiosities for canines. They smell strongly and they are covered with all sorts of ornaments that are interesting to chew on.
You need to somehow keep your Christmas tree out of reach of your dog. If your dog begins to pull at branches or ornaments, your tree could topple over and cause injuries.
Leaving candles, lights, or other electronics out so that dogs can chew on them
Most of us put a lot of potentially hazardous decorations around the house during the holidays. Candles and strings of electric lights are especially dangerous if pets get ahold of them, so be careful where you place these holiday decorations.
Leaving your dog home alone
If you're going away for the holidays, consider having your pet boarded somewhere close to home, such as at All Pets Hospital Ltd,. Even if you'll just be away for the day, it might be best to opt for boarding. You don't want to come home after all the holiday festivities to find that your dog has ransacked your house out of boredom and restlessness.
Overfeeding your dog
When you're feeling the holiday cheer, it can be tempting to be overly generous with giving your dog table scraps. However, feasting too heavily during holiday meals can be bad for your dog.
If your dog's not used to table food, he or she could experience an upset stomach after eating a lot of unfamiliar holiday delicacies.
Limit table food you feed your dog to a small amount of simple foods that don't contain a lot of spices. Food that's excessively spicy could disturb your dog's stomach and cause nausea or vomiting.
Allowing your dog to chew on holiday plants
There are several common holiday plants that can pose some health threats to canines. One example is holly. Holly can make dogs sick if they swallow it by causing vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Another holiday plant that's not good for dogs is mistletoe. In addition to gastrointestinal issues, mistletoe can also lead to breathing difficulties in dogs if they chew on it and swallow it.
Keep these holiday plants away from your dog to prevent these health problems.
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