Keeping pets safety during the holidays

It’s usually only about a month or two a year  that holiday ornaments are out of boxes and on display. This is a beautiful scenery for people, but can become a trip to the hospital for pets. In order to prevent injury, Doctor Michael Peters from Johnson-Mckee Animal Hospital tells us it’s important to know what your pet is attracted to in the first place.
     
“If a dog thinks it’s fun to chew on round things and it’s glass then the next thing you know you got blood on the floor and lacerations.” says Dr. Peters.

Dr. Peters also suggests keeping tinsel and ribbon off the floor or to avoid it completely.

“They can swallow these things and produce things called linear form bodies and that’s when they get a piece of string or something  caught in their intestine. It can be devastating. It could require surgery and even cause them to pass away,” says Dr. Peters.

When it comes down to a having a real tree versus a fake one, Dr. Peters tells us fake trees can be safer because they usually have lights with a lower voltage compared to real trees, which can prevent burns if they are chewed on. However, for the people that do have a  real tree it is important to be mindful of the standing water at the bottom of the tree. If your pets drink it it could be poisonous.

“That water could have been there for 3 to 4 days. You got all these natural products from the tree that are leaking down there that can support bacterial growth,” says Dr. Peters.

Dr. Peters says follow these precautions and the whole family can have a safe and joyous season.