Pet Blog > Pet Holiday Safety

Pet Holiday Safety

Whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, Haunuka, or any other seasonal holiday, your pet is likely to be exposed to many irregular visitors and have access to lots of potential treats…many of which can be very harmful to him or her. Be one the lookout for signs of health distress including: sudden changes in behavior, depression, notable pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

When in doubt whether or not your pet has consumed something potentially poisonous, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 and your own veterinarian.

Quick link: Emergency Vet Near Me

Common Holiday dangerous foods for pets

Here are some common Holiday “treats” that you should definitely keep away from your pet:

• Chocolate

• Walnuts

• Alcoholic beverages

• Artificial sweetener Xylitol commonly present in chewing gum

• Common household drugs such as Advil, NSAID’s, and Acetaminophen

• Grapes and raisins

• Macadamia nuts

• Caffeine

• Bones

• General Holiday trash

Some foods like Thanksgiving turkey are okay in moderation (but not the skin), but just be careful not to overfeed your pet with so many uncommon foods around this time of year. Too much food can give you pet pancreatitis and just make them feel lethargic and have that “blah” feeling.

If your pet eats something they shouldn’t monitor them closely and do not be afraid to contact your vet or emergency vet—it could mean life our death from your best friend.

Check out “35 Popular Human Foods that Dogs Can and Cannot Eat” from The Dog Adventure.

Holiday decorations

Pets are curious, especially when you’ve brought all of these fresh decorations into the house with fun smells and flashing lights. Pets can be overly curious and potentially hurt themselves. Dangers include:

• Drinking Christmas tree water treated with preservatives

• Chewing on strands of electric Holiday lights

• Eating leaves from poinsettia flowers, amaryllis, mistletoe, balsam, pine, cedar, and holly

• Cuts from broken or ingesting Christmas tree ornaments

• Fires from unattended candles

Unusual activities

Often during the Holidays, we have many guests in our homes or travel to others’ homes. This can cause stress to our pets but can present unique dangers. Some things to watch out for:

• Watch for your pets escaping through a well-traveled front door when visitors come and go. Many visitors are not as used to door security as you may be. Make sure your pet has a collar with your contact information clearly visible in the event your pet goes for a tour of your neighborhood.

• Be cautious when introducing family members’ visiting pets with your own. Your home is also your pet’s domain and he or she may feel the need to defend it from “intruders.” Gates between rooms are often very effective in giving the pets an opportunity to see and smell each other without doing harm to anyone (perhaps except your eardrums from the barking).

• Holidays often mean traveling with your pet. Be sure to travel with your pet in a kennel or other safety harness. Countless pets are lost each year after running off scared or injured after automobile accidents. Plus bringing your pet’s own kennel can be a great way for them to still feel “at home” when visiting elsewhere.

To have the happiest Holidays for your family and your pets, make sure you have a plan to keep them safe and sound into the new year. The American Veterinary Medical Association has a ton of additional information that is certain to be useful to you and your pet. Just a little preparation and planning can go a very long way.

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