Holidays are favorites for family gatherings, cheers and lots of delicious goodies. Here are a few tips to help ensure your holiday weekend is as joyous for you as it is for Fido and Fluffy.
First and foremost be sure your 4-footed companions are healthy, have updated ID tags and a properly fitted collar. Take a few safety precautions and use lots of every day common sense! Try decorating your home according to the age, activity level and temperament of your pets and children. If they are young and active, consider homemade expendable ornaments. These are also a great, safe and fun family project.
Holidays are hectic for all of us and that means stress for pets!
To minimize your pets stress, try to keep their diet, snacks and routine as close to normal as possible. Be sure your pet has a quiet place to go so he or she can relax when he’s had enough. This helps avoid behavioral problems especially with children.
Herbal Stress Remedy: Bach’s Rescue Remedy is wonderful, effective and very safe for dogs, cats and people. Place a few drops in your pet’s mouth, food or water bowl to relieve stress and anxiety.
Essential Oil combinations of chamomile and blue cypress not only smell great but are also safe and effective to help keep your pets calm and reduce stress. Just apply a few drops to your pets back a couple times daily.
Hazardous Holiday House Plants: Easter Lilly’s & Cats
Lilly’s are lovely but many varieties, including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and Casa Blanca can cause Feline Kidney failure. This is a true potentially life and death risk for CATS! Should your kitty lick the leaves, stem, pollen or even the water-fatal kidney failure in just 72 hours. Cat owners may notice their feline loses his or her appetite after which vomiting usually begins. Shortly after that with or without veterinary intervention, the kidneys calcify, and the results are fatal.
Dr. Carol’s TIP: Consider safe holiday plant alternatives such as artificial arrangements made from silk.
Electric cords and extension cords are popular to chew on especially. for puppies. Hide them in empty wrapping paper tube and cover them with cute foil. Try taping them securely to your floor. Buy pet proof extension cords. Owners can also spray cords with bitter apple or chew stop to deter pets from chewing on them.
Candles are fragrant and enticing to pets, especially curious puppies. Place them up high out of paw reach. Fires are a hazard to pets and the fumes are toxic to birds. Wagging tails can easily knock candles over, burn your pet or worse yet start a fire.
Holiday Spreads: Try to keep people food out of the reach of your pet and ask your guests to do the same.
The Plastic Grass used for Easter baskets, is a NO-NO. It tends to get stuck in the back of the throat and/or around the base of your pooches’ tongue. In addition to choking it can end up leading to costly abdominal surgery as it doesn’t pass through the digestive system well.
Easter chocolate bunnies and eggs are tasty but not good for pets. is very dangerous for your dog, the darker the chocolate the more toxic for your pet. Please make sure that all the chocolate eggs and bunnies are not reachable by your dog.
Easter Egg Hunts are Fun for ALL!! Be sure to include Fido and make his or her treats and eggs extra smelly hidden in eggs of specific colors so they don’t get mixed up with the eggs and treats for the 2 footed kids.
Keep chow hounds away from holiday spreads and be sure your pet doesn’t have any access to alcohol, caffeinated drinks, tobacco, dietary sweets with, xylitol, as well as grapes and raisins.
Now that you’ve refresh your Holiday Pet IQ, enjoy this Easter. Be sure to take Fido out for a game of Frisbee and/or a nice, long walk, before family members, friends and neighbors arrive. Tired pets are generally happy, well behaved pets.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend and remember it’s always a good idea to post the number of the local Pet ER in a handy spot in case
Dr. Carol Osborne is an author and world-renowned integrative veterinarian of twenty plus years. After graduating from the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Carol completed a prestigious internship at the Columbus Zoo. Shortly afterward, she launched a very successful private practice and became founder and director of the non-profit organization, the American Pet Institute.
Dr. Carol offers traditional veterinary care for dogs and cats with a softer, natural touch. Her approach highlights the importance of nutrition and utilizing holistic avenues in combination with traditional treatments. Currently, she offers holistic therapies and traditional veterinary medical care for dogs and cats at the Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
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