Safely Incorporating Our Dogs in Holiday Festivities

• Electric cord safety – wrap thin cords with metal safety coil
• Jingle bells on low branches for warning that the dog is in trouble
• Unwrapped candy canes that aren’t dangerous on low branches
• Keep the canned spinach on hand
• Secure tree to ceiling or wall
• Crate the dog during dinner with a stuffed kong or chew bone to entertain them.
• Beware of alcohol consumption. Guests don’t always take the dog into consideration when setting down a glass.
• Make your dog part of the meal with snacks of raw carrots, small bits of meat instead of fats
• Save broth cooked with bones, carrots, celery for food dressing
• No more than 10% of meal should be additive. Commercial kibble is precisely formatted to meet the dogs needs. Substantially altering the contents of the meal can cause problems.
• Mistletoe and Easter Lilly and Yew plants are highly toxic. Poinsettia actually isn’t. Macadamia nuts and raisins are food items less known to be toxic.
• Boots are good for dogs in extreme cold or wet snow. Greer recommends the musher boots used in the Iditarod.
• Pet safe deicer and antifreeze — both products are excellent. If dogs walk on salt or deicer that isn’t suited to pets, rinse their feet thoroughly as soon as you can.
• Dressing up our dogs entertains us, but not all dogs find it funny. Let your pet make the choice on outfits.
• Slushy snow is bad as it can freeze in the feet and undercarriage.