Decorating for the Holidays: Pet-Proofing Your Home
Nothing spreads holiday cheer quite like the wreaths, sparking lights, and flickering candles that we use to decorate our homes. But when it comes to households with pets, there are important dog and cat safety factors to keep in mind. Here are some tips for decorating your home for a pet-safe, celebratory holiday season:
Preventing Pet Injuries
Some of those cherished Christmas ornaments and candle holders could be quite fragile; keep them out of your dog or cat’s reach if curious paws could knock them over and break them. You’ll protect yourself from the heartache of broken seasonal treasures, and you’ll protect your pets from injury due to glass shards, sharp metal, and more.
Holiday safety for pets also means keeping wires and ribbons away from your pets so they don’t get tangled up and injured.
Festive Plant Dangers
Holiday greenery brings beauty into our homes, but many seasonal plants are toxic hazards to curious pets. Always keep dangerous items completely out of reach to avoid a stressful and unnecessary trip to the veterinarian:
- All Lilies: (Extremely dangerous, especially to cats. Even small ingestion can lead to acute kidney failure.)
- Amaryllis
- Yew
- Holly and Mistletoe
- Snowdrops
The Poinsettia Myth
The danger of poinsettias is often misunderstood. These plants are generally only mildly toxic compared to the high-risk items above. The milky white sap they produce contains irritating chemicals. If your pet ingests a piece, they are likely to experience mild stomach upset, such as drooling or temporary vomiting.
While poinsettias are not considered fatal, it is still best to keep them out of your pet’s reach.
Candle and Light Safety
Lights and candles add to the wonder of the holiday season, for both people and their pets. What sparkles and shines can attract curious paws and teeth, so never leave candles or string lights burning when you aren’t around to supervise your pup or kitty. Candles can cause burns, of course, and they can also be knocked over and lead to house fires. Unfortunately, curious pets have also been known to chew on cords, including those holiday lights, which can electrocute them—and potentially start house fires. Bottom line: blow out and unplug any holiday light sources to protect your pets.
In Case of a Dangerous Decoration Emergency
Call us at East Sacramento Veterinary Center at (916) 737-5670 if you have dog or cat holiday questions or concerns. But remember that you should also keep handy the contact information for the closest animal emergency hospital in case your pet needs care outside of our regular hours. The Pet Poison Helpline and ASPCA Animal Poison Control are fantastic resources for general education, and for help in toxicity emergencies. We hope you won’t need them, but be on the safe side and keep their contact info handy.
Make dog and cat safety a priority when you decorate for the holidays; we’re wishing you and your pets all the best this season!