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Holiday Pet Tips

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christmas dog gifts1 350x330The holidays are a hectic time for not only us humans, but also our animal friends. Decorating the tree with tinsel can turn out to be a disaster if your kitty gets to it and all the chocolate around the house, could mean death for your furry friend.

To keep the pet you love safe this holiday it’s important to take certain precautions. Here are some tips from the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to consider to keep your furry friends out of harms way this holiday:

1 ) Avoid tinsel if you have cats as they love to play with linear objects like yarn and string. The Nassau County SPCA warns that they often will be playing and it will get caught and anchored under their tongue while they swallow the other end of it. Since it’s stuck at one end, and the digestive tract is trying to move it in the opposite direction, it gets bound up in the intestines, can shred them, and potentially cause death if dealt with right away.

2 ) Keep all toxic foods away. The Nassau County SPCA warns that while all types of chocolate are toxic,  dark chocolate is the worst. Other foods that should also stay away are onions, raw potatoes, raisins and grapes as well as some plants and flowers that can be very dangerous to pets like Poinsettas and Mistletoe.

3 )Make sure that guests visiting your home are careful not to let your pet escape out the front door as they go in and out. The Nassau County SPCA suggests putting a gentle reminder on the back of the door so they are always conscious of this.

4 ) Be sure that all pets have proper identification. The Nassau County SPCA advises a microchip that is ISO certified so that your furry family can be found and the chip read with a universal reader no matter what brand you picked. Also, it’s important to keep a sturdy tag on their collar with your phone number just in case.

5 ) Always keep your pet on a leash. During the holidays, people are rushing, new to the area, and confused, which makes the streets all the more dangerous for your pet.

6 ) Pet -proof and if this is too difficult, the Nassau County SPCA suggests confining your cat or dog to a safe place, like a crate when you go out.

7 ) Be aware of the cold and remember not to leave your pets out there for too long-especially at night or during colder temperatures.

8 ) Don’t feed your pet novelty treats that they are not used to, the Nassau County SPCA warns especially pig’s ears and non-digestible rawhide. It may cause vomiting and diarrhea, and the vet is where you’ll end up on Christmas.

9 ) Avoid leaving your pet unsupervised with new holiday toys, eating seems to sound like a good idea for your pet.

10 ) Lastly, the Nassau County SPCA advises to unplug cords and cables that they might chew on or trip over when you’re not around-especially the one that’s attached to your tree.