Holiday Trees and Decorations and Dogs - Not a Good Mix Sometimes
By: Tippy & Alfred
Christmas is the season for holiday cheer and giving. And in
all the excitement of decorating the house we often forget
about the dangers those decorations may pose for our pets.
The Christmas tree in particular is dangerous to your dog,
for several reasons outlined below.
The tree itself may be a danger to your pet if your
decorations are edible or the tree is sprayed with
insecticide or preservatives, but the stand the tree goes in
is even more dangerous. A dog will often, if it can get
under the tree, drink the water in which the tree sits. This
water, if left for some time, will grow bacteria that can
make your dog sick if it drinks that water, and if the tree
has been treated to make it stay fresh longer, that will
seep into the tree water and is poisonous to animals.
If you decorate your tree with electric lights your dog can
become entangled in them and your dog may chew on the lights
or the electrical cord and be badly burned or even
electrocuted.
The glass ornaments that you hang on your tree may fall off
and break, getting glass on the floor that you pet can step
on and cut its paws.
If you put candy canes on your Christmas tree often a dog
will eat the candy canes wrappers along with the stolen
candy, and the same with Christmas cookies. This will make
your dog vomit at least, and may require a trip to the
veterinarian.
Any gifts that you put under your tree may become chew toys
for your dog. And if there is anything dangerous in those
packages it will inevitably be checked out by your dog if
not chewed on.
But there is a way to save both your tree and your dog from
injury. They make doggy pens that you can put around your
tree much like play pens for children, except that these
pens keep dogs out rather than children in. This is a good
option for dog owners, especially if you have a troublesome
dog that will not stay away from the Christmas tree.
So keep you pets safe and think of them when you decorate
your house this Christmas season. This will save time and
effort for you in the long run and you won't have to replace
gifts and redecorate your tree a dozen times. Not to mention
it will help keep your dog healthy and happy through the
holiday season.
All About Dogs and
Christmas
