Will you spend the holidays traveling or staying at home? Will you be a host or a guest this year? Every pet-parent needs to consider these matters during the holidays and create a holiday plan for their pet’s wellbeing. Follow these four tips to help make the holidays manageable.
Store Dangerous Foods Away
Previously we mentioned foods to avoid during Thanksgiving. In addition, you should also avoid:
- Uncooked yeast dough.
- Tables scraps, including onions, gravy, meat fat.
- Sweet and baked goods, as they may contain artificial sweeteners such as xylitol.
Practice Pet-Friendly Decorating
Most cats and dogs cannot resist playing with tinsel and ornaments. Avoid an accident and ensure your home is pet friendly:
- Never leave a lit candle unattended while your pets are nearby.
- Keep potpourri out of pet’s reach as they can cause problems.
- Avoid using water additives in your Christmas trees, including sugar and aspirin.
- Replace harmful or possibly poisonous plants such as mistletoe, balsam, pine, etc.
Create a Travel Plan
Planning a trip with your pet takes work. Ensure your pet is ready for take-off by getting a health check-up. Also:
- Double-check your pet breed is allowed on flights nationwide.
- Safely restrain pets while traveling in a vehicle, and never leave them alone in a car.
- Pack for your pet and include medications, copies of medical records, pet food, and comfort toys.
Host Guest’s and Their Pets
Hosting your guests and their pets is also a big responsibility. Avoid daily chaos by:
- Throwing out trash daily to prevent a pet from foraging.
- Pointing out areas of the home that are on and off-limits to pets.
- Storing food and baking supplies out of canine and felines reach.
- Creating spots indoors or outdoors where pets are allowed to go restroom.
- Ensure your pet and guest’s pets have separate areas to relax without feeling invaded.
- Communicate with your guest if their pet has a behavioral problem or habit you need to know.
Contact our Veterinarians
Our veterinarians wish you and your fur-babies, happy holidays! Send us a message online or call (956) 787-2709 for any questions regarding your pet’s holidays.
