How to Pet Proof Your Home for the Holidays

Pet proofing your home for the holidays is relatively easy and a must for anyone wanting to protect those precious pet. Pets will sometimes get into things that can cause serious harm and cause damage to their health which may cost a fortune to have treated. The best way to avoid this is to prepare ahead of time. Here's some tips to help keep your pets safe and healthy through the holidays - and all year round:

Be Aware of Plants and Flowers.
Silk and plastic arrangements are actually a pretty safe bet, and usually not attractive to curious dogs and cats. However, plants that are fragrant such as Tiger Lily, Asiatic Lily, and Stargazer Lily - which are common in a lot of holiday flower arrangements - are extremely toxic to cats. Holly and Mistletoe can also be mistaken for food which will cause gastrointestinal distress and even heart arrhythmia.

Be Aware of Air Fresheners.
Some oils, especially those used in a simmering, heated pot are especially toxic to cats. Dogs are not as sensitive, but may still be harmed by the oils used in these heated oil products. Exposure to these oils may result in chemical burns, fever, tremors, and even difficulty breathing. Your best bet for pet proofing your home for the holidays is to use scented candles and place them safely out of reach of your pets.

Be Aware of Certain Foods.
Certain chemicals and ingredients - like chocolate - in the foods we eat are dangerous to animals and may cause stomach upset, gastrointestinal distress, heart arrhythmia, and seizures. Because of the way it is prepared, meat from the table is not easily digested by your pets. Some foods can even be deadly - grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. It's best to refrain from feeding your pets table scraps - and inform your guests to do the same. Pets do better if they stay with a healthy, regular, normal diet.

Absolutely no Tinsel.
Cats are especially likely to mistake the movement of tinsel as a play toy. Ingesting tinsel can lead to severe gastrointestinal tract damage and require expensive surgery for your pet. It's best to ban tinsel altogether if you have any pets and make your home pet proof for the holidays.

Be Aware of Decorations.
There are the obvious dangers of sharp glass from an ornament accidentally broken, some pets will actually try and eat this, or step in it causing cuts to their feet. If you must have breakable decorations, put them up high enough that your pet cannot accidentally break them. The same goes for strings of lights especially attractive to pets who love to chew, especially puppies. Lastly, watch out for bubbling lighted ornaments which contain methylene chloride which bubbles when heated. Methylene Chloride can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation as well as gastrointestinal problems.

* ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 888-426-4435; $60 fee
* www.aspca.org
* Pet Poison Helpline 800-213-6680; $35 fee
* www.petpoisonhelpline.com