Happy Holidays! Is a new puppy joining you this year for seasonal celebrations? If so, you are in for a pretty ‘pawesome’ holiday season. Of course, you’ll also need to do plenty of puppyproofing. This is important at any time of year, but you’ll want to be extra careful around the holidays. In this article from Armitage Animal Clinic, an East Gwillimbury vet offers some holiday puppyproofing tips.
Small/Sharp Objects
Anything small or sharp is dangerous to your fuzzy little buddy. That includes ornaments and ornament hooks, jewelry, craft kit pieces, pens, safety pins, paper clips, batteries, and many nic-nacs.
Tree
That pretty tree presents lots of opportunities for your furry friend to get into trouble. As mentioned above, the ornaments and ornament hooks are definitely not things you want little Fido chewing on. If you get a real tree, the water is also a concern, as it could contain traces of pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals. Then, there are the gifts under the tree. Cardboard, ribbons, tape, bows, staples, plastic wrappers, and packing peanuts are all potential hazards. You probably also don’t want your cute pet destroying those pretty presents! Consider putting a puppy gate around the tree.
Food
Don’t let little Fido have any unsafe foods! These include garlic and onions; avocado; pitted fruit; meat on the bone; raw dough; hard candies; grapes and raisins; macadamia nuts; alcohol; and anything that contains xylitol and/or lots of fat, sugar, or salt. Offer your canine buddy safe treats when he’s behaving to help reinforce good petiquette.
Personal Items
Puppies are adorable, four-legged chewing machines. Keep things like shoes, purses, phones, books, and other potential targets in spots your furry pal can’t reach. (Tip: get the little guy plenty of chew toys, and direct him toward those.)
Heat Sources
Flames and heat sources are also unsafe. Place candles and wax burners out of paws’ reach, and put a thick grate before your fireplace.
Ropes/Strings
Anything with ropes or cords is an entanglement risk. This includes things like wires, cords, tinsel, garlands, and ribbons.
Plants
Many of those popular holiday plants, including holly, ivy, poinsettia, mistletoe, and yew, are toxic to dogs. Check the ASPCA site here for a full list of safe and unsafe plants.
Season’s Greetings from all of us here at Armitage Animal Clinic, your local East Gwillimbury animal clinic. Call us anytime!