Keep Your Pets Safe During the Holidays

While many are busy making preparations to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, it's easy to overlook making the time an enjoyable experience for our favorite animals too. As a pet professional I have the distinct advantage of being able to learn from the experiences of some of my furry friends – my daily dog walking and pet-sitting "clients" – about what it takes to keep them safe this holiday season.

Take for example, Princeton, a Beagle known for his nose's uncanny ability to sniff out all things edible and his voracious appetite. Though he loves sharing holiday meals with his human friends, he learned the hard way that there are some people foods that a dog should simply avoid as they can lead to an upset stomach and a trip to the vet. So be wary of giving your dog raw meats that could contain salmonella; bones; and chocolate and other sugary sweets. It's best to secure the sweets, leftover scraps and other holiday hazards well out of reach. Oh, and don't forget to keep the alcoholic drinks out of licking range too  – Princeton had quite a rough go after overindulging in some unattended eggnog last year.

Before you dust off your snazzy holiday decorations, learn from the experiences of two cats I know, Anna and Henry. Sure tinsel can add some whimsy to a Christmas tree, but one holiday Anna realized that it can also be easily ingested which leads to serious digestive troubles. And though decorative candles can bring that old-fashioned Christmas feel to any room, clumsy cats like Henry can accidentally tip them over. You might also want to keep your Christmas lights, plugs and wires and decorations out of the reach of chomp-happy dogs like Beethoven whose over-exuberant chewing and romping has finished off more than one ornament. Every year many dogs (and even cats) have unfortunate mishaps with live wires or broken ornament shards. Finally, ingesting holly, mistletoe or lilies can lead to serious tummy problems for cats, so keep that in mind when choosing your holiday greenery.

Remember as you are entertaining family and friends at your holiday party that even friendly human-loving dogs, like Tuck, can be overwhelmed by a house full of people. Whether it's a crate escape or a quiet room, give your pets a space to hide away and relax during the holiday commotion. And while we might see Santa Claus as a big symbol of Christmas fun, shy dogs like my pup Sophie find him hard to distinguish from a brightly colored intruder who merits a threatening bark. It's important to help your guests to be pet savvy by letting them know about your pet's quirks and how best to interact with them, especially in crowded quarters. It never hurts to encourage kids to be friendly and gentle with your furry friends too – otherwise, normally sweet cats can turn into tiny terrors. Finally, don't be afraid to follow the lead of my feline friend Sam, and take a few quiet moments to steal a little pull-the-covers-over-your-head catnap.  

For more holiday specific pet tips see the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals home page at www.aspca.org and the American Kennel Club homepage at www.akc.org.