Sharing our life with a furry friend has taught us one thing: a little preparation goes a long way. With Christmas fast approaching, our resident vet, Louise, shares her top tips for keeping celebrations fun, safe and pet-friendly – along with the seasonal hazards every owner should know about.
1. Stick to your pet’s normal routine
The holidays are a super busy time of year, and it can be really overwhelming for pets when they don’t know if they are coming or going. Routine is very important for cats and dogs alike, so do your best to make sure their routines, especially around feeding times, exercise and bedtime, are as consistent as you can during the holiday period.
2. Care with toxic plants
Did you know that many plants are toxic to pets, including a few of our Christmas favourites? If chewed or eaten, poinsettias, mistletoe, holly and ivy can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive salivation and loss of appetite.
3. Mind the decorations
Dogs and cats love to play with all the glittery, sparkly and light-up decorations that pop up around the house during December, but these can be dangerous to our curious furry friends. Eating decorations like tinsel and ribbons, can cause vomiting and serious gut blockages and Christmas lights can cause burns and electrocutions, so make sure you keep decorations and wires out of reach of your pets.
4. Stock up on essentials
With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and inflation, it helps to take advantage of the offers and promotions on the products our pets need and love. We like to stock up on all their essentials before the Christmas rush, making the most of any special offers in the process.
5. Watch what your pet is eating
Although we love to spoil our pets, allowing them to overindulge during the Christmas holidays can lead to very upset tummies. Christmas dinners are usually cooked with lots of fats and oils, and large quantities of fatty foods can trigger pancreatitis (a painful inflammation of the pancreas). Keep an eye on the volume of treats and titbits your pet is eating – only feed foods and treats that are suitable for them, and make sure the majority of what they are eating is their normal, complete and balanced diet.
6. Make a safe space
There’s nothing like a big family and friends’ holiday get-together, but having a lot of visitors in your home can be scary for your pet. Making a safe space or den at home for your pet to safely retreat to if they want to, can really help to reduce their stress. A natural calming diffuser can also help your pet to unwind, by creating a relaxing atmosphere in their safe spot.
7. Avoid toxic food
A lot of the special Christmas foods and drinks we like to enjoy at this time of year are toxic to our pets. This includes mince pies, chocolate, fruit cake, macadamia nuts, alcohol, garlic, onions, raisins, and grapes. Keep toxic food items well out of reach of your pets and if you are spending Christmas with friends and family, ask them nicely to not give your pets any foods without your permission first to help avoid any emergency vet visits!
8. Buy Christmas presents
A recent Christmas trends report from Tesco reveals that 77% of the UK pet owners surveyed plan to give their pet a present this Christmas. With more Christmas gifts for cats and dogs available than ever before, it’s never been easier to include your pet in the festivities with a gift from ‘Santa Paws’.
9. Be seen
As the cold, dark nights are drawing in, it’s important to make sure you and your pets stay visible when you are out and about at night. Reflective coats, leads and harnesses can help keep you and your pets safe, especially around busier roads.
10. Rest… and relax!
Between the shopping, cooking and non-stop preparations for Christmas, it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of it: sharing beautiful moments with our loved ones. So we’ll be setting time aside time to pause, reflect and not do much. Something that never fails for us: snuggling under a blanket with our furry pal is the perfect way to recharge.
