What can I tell you that you haven’t heard a million times before re xmas safety for your pets?
You already know…
- Don’t overfeed, don’t share rich xmas treats (stuffing, meats, sweets, dried fruits, chocolates, cooked bones)
- Quantity… one piece of bread might be only a piece of bread for you, but it’s a lot for a dog or cat… maybe the equivalent to you eating the whole loaf of bread
- Heat is a killer… even if windows are down in your car, it’s still horrendously hot inside on a hot day. If the footpath or road is burning your feet on a hot summers day, then it will be doing the same to your dog’s paws… their pads aren’t insulated, they burn.
I just caught up with some friends for lunch. One of them asked, “can heat kill dogs”, because a friend of hers had just lost her 11 month old puppy. She had put him outside in yesterday’s 40 degree heat for 2 hours, while she cleaned the house, the pup died of heart failure. I hate to share this sad story but one message for me is, don’t assume people know, or even use common sense. Keep repeating information even if you think it is obvious. - Chocolate is good for us, can be fatal for your dogs… the darker it is, the better for us, the worse for dogs, and
- Many causes for anxiety over the holidays, for instance…
– Home alone,
– Fireworks
– Increase in visitors, new people in the house, or children who want to play.
Watch for signs of anxiety or better still, avoid it. Regarding the above examples:
- Don’t leave your pet home alone, especially if there are going to be fireworks… arrange company, or board, or find a pet sitter, ask a friend or neighbour to look in and spend some time.
- When you have visitors, especially with enthusiastic children, make sure your animal can get away when she needs to… pets need to have their safe place to retire to.
- Regarding anxiety, there is so much information on signs, causes, what to do… please ask your vet, vet nurse, look at some info online, ask a trainer… can be easier than you think to remedy.
A few things you might not have thought about….
- Ice blocks to lick can keep pets cool as well as alleviate boredom, possibly calming as well. Make the ice blocks from blood from raw meat, or watered down stock
- Bedding can be cooling, as opposed to blankets or beds that are more suitable for winter… ask at a pet shop or look online, and
- People like to give their fur buddies presents for Xmas… make sure they’re safe, for instance, toys may not be… either due to the material they’re made from, or bits that may be swallowed.
Pets can run off during holidays, if frightened by fireworks, excess visitors, home alone and desperate to escape… check your secure doors, gates, locks, workmen entering premises and leaving gate open.
Make sure your friend is properly identified… I am guilty of not taking care of that last point… I brought my new pup home 3 months ago on the weekend, and thought to get a proper name tag on Monday, put a deceased pets collar on just for the next 2 days… and of course she somehow escaped, still don’t know how… fortunately the mobile number was correct and she is microchipped and she only escaped to a neighbours, but a near disaster.
Lastly, we have a diabetes and obesity epidemic in Australia... and we see so many heavy humans with heavy animals… if you are a little overweight, your pet doesn’t have to be (I know people and their pets often look alike after a while, but this is not a good look!), nor is it healthy. Even being slightly overweight takes years off pet’s lives (and ours!), and causes a host of problems such as arthritis, loss of mobility, dependence on medications etc etc.
So all of the don’t do’s are listed above… DO have a wonderful xmas and new year with your human and animal families… I hope it is full of play, good company, sunshine, swims and maybe some fulfilled wishes xxx