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No Chocolate, Please
Although Fido and Fluffy may be
attracted to the smell and taste of chocolate, in sufficient quantities,
chocolate can make her very sick. The result? Vomiting, diarrhea, and a lovely
holiday spent at the emergency vet clinic.
Be sure to store chocolate well away
from pets. Open counters or ledges are not good places -- some dogs may
'counter-surf', and cats easily reach counters (what's worse, they can knock
chocolate off the countertop and straight into the path of enthusiastic dogs!).
Tinsel's Pretty, But...
Although it's a popular decoration
for trees, it can pose a danger if your pet swallows it. It's possible for it to
cause an intestinal blockage -- and again, no one (least of all your pet!) wants
to spend the holidays undergoing surgery!
What's That? Who's There?
Holidays are often filled with
friends and family going in and out of the house. If your pet is excitable
or tends to get stressed with noise and crowds, consider placing her safely in a
crate or a room that's "out-of- bounds" to guests. Give her
blankets, food, water, toys ... and check in with her regularly to make sure
she's okay. This will help to ensure your pet stays safely with her
family, rather than accidentally slipping out the door.
Mmm mmm! Extension cords!
With all the pretty lights during
the holiday season, you probably have a variety of extension cords running every
which way. Some pets have a real 'taste' for extension cords -- keep an
eye on them to prevent chewing, or they could be in for a real 'shock'!
Where possible, tie cords out of the way. Some hardware stores also sell a
plastic tubing into which you insert cords to keep your gnawing little pet from
hurting herself.
Happy Holidays to you and your
family -- both two-legged and four-legged!
(c) Copyright 2002, PetFriendly.ca
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