10 Ways To Keep Your Dog Safe This Holiday Season

      

By Linda Paterson

We all think of our pets as our children. Therefore we want to keep them just as safe. With the hectic holidays comes times when we can't be observing their every movement.

Each holiday so many dogs wind up sick and in an animal emergency room because steps were not taken to make their environment safe.

Here are some ways to protect your family furry friend and at the same time, enjoying the time you have with your family...

1) Be sure all wires in the house are secured away from the floor. Small dogs and puppies can easily get intertwined in the wires causing strangulation or chewing on them causing electrical shock.

2) When finished carving the turkey, throw the left over bones in a plastic bag and dispose away from your dog. Do not feed parts of the turkey or other meat containing bones to your dog. Bones can splinter and many dogs have choked on bones that are too big to otherwise digest.

3) Ribbons from packages can also be digested causing blockages of the intestines.

4) While using household cleaners during the "tidy" up the house time of year, make sure all cleaners are in a tight closing cabinet and put up higher than your dog can reach. There are many dogs that can open cabinets with their paws.

5) Safety is the major concern for all dogs when it comes to toys. Chew toys and plush toys should have parts that cannot be chewed off. Rawhide should not be chewed less than half gone. If it gets to that stage, throw it out. Dogs can get rawhide stuck in their jaw or throat and suffocate.

6) Dogs will be subjected to more visitors than usual this time of year, and can become overwhelmed and excited. There is always the possibly that he can bite if thrown off guard because of nervousness. Be sure and have your dog updated on all his vaccinations.

7) Most people like to take their dog in the car on outings. This holiday season when you take your dog, place him or her in a canine car seat or seatbelt. This will protect your dog in case of a collision.

8) Chocolate contains theobromine which is a derivative. It can cause your dog to vomit, have diarrhea, pant excessively, urinate frequently, develop a great thirst, have seizures, be hyper, raise his heart beat and possibly die. The negative effects depend on the dosage, the size of the dog, and the type of chocolate

9) We all know that dogs will try to drink out of a cup when you walk away, especially a cup filled with flavored coffee. Coffee can be dangerous for your dog. Caffeine in the coffee has the same side effects as chocolate and should be avoided.

10) Alcohol is another drink that should be placed away from your dog this holiday season. It has the same effects on dogs that it has on humans, except most dogs are smaller and the effects will be greater.