Keep your Dog or Cat Safe during Holidays

"Easter Precautions for the Safety of your animal Companion
by Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ CoachT

Things change when holidays come around, and Easter is no
exception. New people come to your house with strange
things, routines change, you get more tired, and pay less
attention, and your animal companion may be exposed to a
wider age range of people companions.

All these things can confuse your animal companion causing
them to do things they ordinarily wouldn't do, and also
bring harm to themselves.

Since it has been my fate to learn from experience,
sometimes vicariously, sometimes straight-on, I'll include
examples which I hope this article will keep you from having
to experience.

1. Keep careful track of visitors' possessions.

People bring all sorts of things in their suitcases and
purses, like nitroglycerine and sleeping pills. Keep purses
and luggage up off the floor, and in the case of cats,
closed and latched.

Or you'll end up at the vet's, as I did one year, when
This be smelled chocolate (Ex Lax) in my mother's suitcase
and ingested enough to kill her, said the vet, who was
surprised she survived.

Or your dog may, for reasons known only to him, urinate
in your father-in-law's suitcase, marking I suppose,
though he knew better!

2. Pay close attention to the Easter candy and other gifts.

Chocolate is a special culprit. It contains theobromine
which is poisonous to dogs and cats.

People wrap food dogs can smell that you can't, but then
again it doesn't have to be food. Chucky tore open packages
of bath powder, perfume and bath salts as well. If you
catch Fido nosing around, remove the package to somewhere
safe. Be careful they do not ingest the shiny cellophane
paper.

3. Keep your animal companion on their regular regime and
diet.

Don't, like me, carve the lamb roast tossing the fat down to
Shy Nell, then carry it in to the table, begin the feast,
and have Shy Nell enter the dining room and proceed to vomit
it all up, sending one of your guests to the restroom. Try
working that into the dinner table conversation!

4. Protect your animal companion from new people and vice
versa.

Guests can agitate and excite your pet so they get in
trouble, do bizarre things, and also harm people.

There are people like me who don't know what they're doing,
stick their hand in the bird cage to acquaint themselves
with your Macaw, and . "the Macaw uses its bill to score
and then, in steel-cutter fashion, shear the nuts in two so
cleanly that the cut surfaces resemble the work of a
metal-cutting saw or laser ."

5. Don't let your pet eat all gifts that are presented!

The houseguest from hell, I brought homemade dog biscuits
for my relative's Labs, which they duly ate . and we were
all up all night as the dogs struggled with fulminating
diarrhea.

6. If you animal is excitable, soothe him or her, or remove
them if necessary, giving them a special place in the house
where they can have quiet time.

7. Protect your animal from young children.

They can poke eyes, pull ears, plop down on stomachs, beat
their backs with toys, and generally provoke the gentlest of
dogs.

8. Guard against escapes!

Weejums who lived with us for a while, was always looking
for his chance to escape, and the holidays were the most
exciting time of the year for the little rascal. Oh the
opportunities! If you have such a knave in your house, make
sure they have their tags, and explain to the kids and to
houseguests, to please take care about the front door.

9. Talk to your houseguests, who are more under your
"control," and keep your eye out for your other guests.

Or your pet companion may end up with an injured tail and
bad memories like Muff Tuff, who was sleeping near the
rocking chair; or a temporarily injured paw like
Stan-the-Man, who got stepped on by someone wearing
bifocals.

10. Talk to your animal companion - with soothing tones when
needed, but also clear commands, so they know the rules
still apply.

Use visual "communication" as well, as your animal companion
is deeply attuned to you.

BOTTOM LINE: You're busier and preoccupied, things change,
it's a good time to stop and think, for the safety of your
animal companion. They're counting on you!

©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc  .
Individual coaching, distance learning, and ebooks around
emotional intelligence for your continued personal and
professional development. I train and certify EQ coaches. Get
in this field, dubbed "white hot" by the press, now, before it's
crowded, and offer your clients something of exceptional
value. Start tomorrow, no residence requirement.

Does your Pet get Stressed Out during the Holidays?





Or from company coming over, or strangers at the door,
stressed from visits to other homes and especially the
vets. It happens to a lot of pets, and fortunately there
is a very good answer that will help relieve stress in your
pet and do it Safely without any harmful side effects.


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