# Holiday Season Pet Safety

The holiday season is a fun and exciting time of the year. You are thinking of family, friends, get-together, food, gifts, and decorations. But if you have a furry family member, you need to take extra care of their safety around this season. Some of the things to watch out for are:

- **Christmas Tree:** As beautiful as it looks with all the hanging ornaments, it could be a great hazard to pets. Please use a tight-fitting tree skirt so your pet can’t access the tree water. Also, if you use chemicals to keep the tree fresh, ensure they are pet safe. Hang any small or fragile ornaments at the top or try to avoid them. Metal ornament hooks can get caught in curious mouths, so use ribbon or yarn instead. Clean the pine needles from the tree to avoid upsetting your pets' stomachs.

- **Holiday Plants:** Plants like holly and mistletoe can cause sickness in pets if eaten, so either use artificial plants or keep them out of reach.

- **Diet:** It is best to keep your furry family on their regular diet. If you want to mix their food with other items, please consult with your veterinarian to see if it is safe to do so.

- **Holiday Treats:** Keep your pets away from holiday treats, especially chocolate. Theobromine and caffeine, active ingredients found in chocolate, are toxins and can be fatal to some animals.

- **Alcoholic Drinks:** Make sure alcoholic drinks are not kept unattended where pets can access them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill, and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

- **Candles:** Lighting scented candles adds to the holiday spirit, but no one wants an accident that could burn your house down. Keep them out of reach of pets or use electric candles instead.

- **Routine:** With all the holiday parties and gift shopping, it is very easy to miss a routine for your pet. Please be extra careful of their routine as pets don’t adapt to change very easily. Also, ensure they don’t skip their regular veterinarian appointments.

- **Stress Management:** With all the parties and unfamiliar guests around, your pet can feel stressed out. Keep them in a quiet room and give them a toy to play with to keep them distracted.

- **Going Away:** If you are going away for the holidays, make sure pet enclosures are secure, your pets are wearing proper identification, and arrangements have been made for their care.

These simple guidelines can make the holidays a breeze for your pets. They deserve to celebrate too, and now you can share your holiday spirit with all of your family members, furry or not. Have a safe and happy holiday!