Be careful when decorating this season – everything from holly and mistletoe to candles and lights can cause hazards for your pets.
While you’re pulling out your favorite holiday decorations, keep your pets in mind and avoid those plants and other festive touches that can be dangerous and just too enticing to resist, especially for young or overly curious animals.
Here are some tips from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Veterinary Pet Insurance to help keep your home seasonal and safe for your pets.
Christmas Trees: Whether you prefer a freshly cut tree or an artificial one, make sure it is securely anchored so curious pets can’t knock it over.
If your tree is freshly cut, make sure access to the water reservoir is blocked; the water may contain fertilizers from the tree that can cause upset stomachs. Stagnant tree water also is a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause nausea or diarrhea. Ingested pine needles can cause oral irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, trembling and posterior weakness.
Plants: Pretty as they are, some traditional holiday plants can be deadly if eaten by your pets. Lilies come in several varieties, and even eating a small amount can cause kidney failure in cats. Poinsettias can irritate the mouths and stomachs of pets and cause vomiting.
Mistletoe also can cause vomiting and diarrhea as well as difficulty breathing, collapse, erratic behavior, hallucinations and death. Holly causes intense vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
Decorations: Cats love shiny things, and tinsel is especially enticing as it dangles and reflects light. Tinsel is not toxic, but if your pets eat even a little bit, it can create blockages in their intestines as well as severe vomiting and dehydration. The same goes for dangling parts of other decorations. If your pet eats tinsel or any other decoration, seek veterinary help right away.
To prevent cuts from shattered tree ornaments, consider putting your breakable ornaments high on the tree. That way if an inquisitive cat or puppy knocks one off, you won’t be heading to the vet.
Lighting: If you have a pet that likes to chew, be careful with the cords to all those lights framing your fireplace, etc. Electrical shocks from biting into a cord can cause tongue lacerations and, in some cases, death. Check your cords for wear and tear and use a grounded, three-pronged extension cord as a safety precaution.
If your decorations run on batteries, keep the boxes holding them up where your pets can’t get them. Puncturing a battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.
Candles should be kept where pets can’t reach them. They can be burned by hot wax from a knocked-over candle, and they could start a fire. Never leave a candle burning when you leave a room.
Scents: Birds can be extremely sensitive to any kind of fume or aerosol, so remove your bird from the environment if you’re planning to spray air fresheners. If you have fish, make sure their tank is protected from the spray as they also are sensitive to aerosols.
Liquid potpourri can be extremely corrosive. Cats that lick the sticks that draw the liquid out of the container can suffer severe burns on their lips and tongue.
Gift wrap: Resist the temptation to decorate your pet’s collar with ribbon, which if it gets tangled can cause a choking hazard. And discard any ribbon or wrapping paper as soon as the gifts have been opened.
According to the ASPCA, ribbon, yarn and loose little parts off of decorations are the riskiest things for cats. Cats and dogs that ingest ribbon or paper can become choked or suffer intestinal blockages, which can lead to an emergency surgery or even death.