Planning for the December holidays usually includes all of your family members, but how much do you actively plan your pets’ involvement in your Christmas and New Year celebrations? Your pets will be over the moon to have more of your attention this December, but whether you are going away on holiday, staying in for the festive season or only venturing out temporarily, it’s important to keep your pet’s wellbeing top-of-mind.
Your home activities will very likely change (there’s no school run or nine-to-five absence), and if you’re having family over, your pet/s will be impacted by more people in the house and the adjustment to their routine that comes with new faces. Plus, what’s that strange indoor tree with sweets and sparkly things hanging from it, which your pets may be unfamiliar with?
In this article, we put the Christmas holidays under a magnifying glass to reveal the benefits, challenges and dangers to pets that come with the December break. We also offer some tips on how to safely include your pets in your holiday plans… for maximum relaxation!
Make a checklist for your pets
There’s so much to remember when the holidays start, especially if you’re hosting family for Christmas or going away for a week or two. There’s always the risk of running out of pet food, someone leaving the gate open, or forgetting to treat your pets for ticks and fleas. Your best bet is to make a checklist now for your pets’ goodies and to commit to crossing everything off the list before your holidays become too busy or chaotic. Consider including items on your list like:
- Top up the pet food
- Top up the pet treats
- Microchip your pets (we know you’ve been meaning to get around to it, so what better time than now?)
- Check the microchip database to ensure your details are up to date (before an emergency!)
- Treat your pets for ticks and fleas with a treatment that lasts for one to three months
- Keep your grooming supplies handy (do you have shampoo, toothpaste, ear drops, lotion, etc.?)
- Stock up on supplies for your pet first-aid kit
- Double-check you have the vet’s emergency number (just in case). If you’re going away, make sure you get the emergency number for the vet in the area you will be staying in.
Add any items such as medication, toys, and accessories. While a checklist may seem trivial, it will be such a useful way to remember everything your pet needs during the holidays.
2: Dangerous foods you should not feed your pets during the holidays
Let’s face it, we’re all looking forward to the holiday food that’s waiting for us at the end of the year! However, before you dive into your Christmas buffets and snack platters and chocolate bowls, take note of all the yummy human food your pets should absolutely NOT eat. Many of these foods (and the ingredients in Christmas foods) are highly toxic to pets and will make their way onto our festive feast tables.
Be very careful about your dogs and cats taking sneaky bites out of foods that are dangerous to their health. It’s not just about the diarrhoea and upset tummies. Many of these foods are so toxic, they can send your pets into shock and cause a major medical emergency. Alcohol, chocolate, raisins, bones, onion and even raw meat – these are all off limits to pets! Here’s why:
- Alcohol: depresses the nervous system and can put a pet in a coma. Even a small amount of alcohol can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, loss of co-ordination, and erratic breathing.
- Avocado: persin is a toxin in the avo pit and leaves that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea; the high fat content of the avo can trigger pancreatitis in susceptible pets.
- Bones: can injure your pet’s teeth and gums, cause an obstruction and choking, and can become lodged anywhere along your pet’s gastrointestinal tract. Bones often need to be surgically removed.
- Caffeine: pets can’t digest and eliminate caffeine like we can, so a toxic build-up in their bodies can poison them. Signs of caffeine toxicity include GI upset, seizures, tremors and irregular heartrate.
- Cherries: cherry pits contain cyanide, which is deadly when too much is consumed. It’s much safer to let pets eat a few blueberries or raspberries as a snack.
- Chocolate: pets can’t digest theobromine in chocolate, so toxicity builds up and has serious negative effects on the body (from vomiting to internal bleeding, cardiovascular problems, neurological effects and even death).
- Dairy: most pets are lactose intolerant after weaning, so dairy can cause uncomfortable stomach upset and also affect pets’ ability to digest their normal food.
- Garlic/onions: an enzyme in Allium plants can destroy red blood cells in pets, causing haemolytic anaemia. The signs include pale gums, rapid heartrate, red urine and even collapse.
- Grapes/raisins/sultanas: toxicity can lead to kidney failure in pets.
- Macadamia nuts: cause gastrointestinal upset, muscle weakness and lack of coordination, fever and tremors.
- Raw or undercooked meat and eggs: carry the risk of salmonella and food poisoning. The same risk is transferred to humans if/when the pet becomes infected.
- Salty food: risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and even brain swelling if they don’t drink enough water to flush out the sodium from their system. Pets who swim in salt water during the holidays are especially at risk.
- Xylitol (check anything labelled as ‘sugar-free’): mimics the effects of a spike in blood sugar, causing their pancreas to secrete insulin, which drops their blood sugar dangerously low, causing hypoglycaemia.
If your pet ingests any of the above foods by accident during your holiday meals, contact the vet asap! Sometimes symptoms don’t present immediately, but the sooner you get treatment for your pet, the better.
Falling for your pets’ puppy-dog eyes or meowy begging can be dangerous to their health, and it doesn’t make you any less of a loving pet parent to say no when they beg. Remind any guests that these foods are dangerous for pets and ask them not to feed Fido under the table. Rather, give your pets a healthy snack or a durable chew toy in an area away from the table to distract them and leave you and your guests in peace to enjoy your festive meals. A medical emergency is on no one’s Christmas list!
3: How to handle fireworks and pets
In many neighbourhoods and public spaces, it’s illegal to set off fireworks, but unfortunately there are still far too many incidences of reckless behaviour with fireworks. The people who continue to support the sale and use of fireworks still do not see the harm they cause to wildlife, pets, the elderly and other vulnerable people who may not be able to tolerate loud noises due to health issues.
There are an enviable few pets who are indifferent towards the noise and lights of fireworks, but for all of the sensitive souls who experience fear from the loud bangs and bright flashes, here are seven things to do to protect your pets:
- Do not set off fireworks. This is obvious to most.
- Keep your pets indoors and give them a safe space with a comfortable bed, where they can find peace and quiet.
- For a few hours before the fireworks start, put on some classical music or any soft, soothing sounds. Gradually increase the volume while enjoying some fun and games with your pets, so that the music continues for the duration of the fireworks.
- Some pets benefit from being swaddled (with light pressure) with a T-shirt or a Thundershirt, which helps to reduce their anxiety during fireworks. However, don’t only bring out a swaddle or a Thundershirt when the fireworks start because this then becomes their trigger. Remember to swaddle your pets during neutral times – even fun times – so that when they see the t-shirt or Thundershirt, your pets anticipate a positive experience. Swaddling works for some pets and not for others – just give it a try.
- For a few hours before the fireworks start, play with your pets, give them a chew toy, a lick mat or a puzzle toy to keep them busy and to keep their brains occupied. If the fireworks start while you’re busy playing with them, pay no attention to the noise or flashes, and continue as though nothing has changed. Our pets pick up on our anxiety and this can set off their own fear.
- Do some research and then give it a go to recondition your pet’s fear response so that they don’t react with anxiety when they hear loud noises like thunder or fireworks. When your pets display calm behaviour, give them high-value food rewards. Continue to treat them as they continue to display calmness before, during and after a storm or a fireworks display. This is an active training process that harnesses the concept of ‘counter-conditioning’. It’s worth getting some advice from a behaviourist to teach you this technique successfully, and it will make thunderstorms and fireworks periods a lot more tolerable for your pets.
- There’s no shame in asking the vet for help with your fearful pets. If they really cannot cope during fireworks displays, explore the option of calming medication, which pets will take for a week or two before the scary event. While it may not address the core of your pets’ fears, it can help to keep them calm and lessen their anxiety.
4: Do your pets need Christmas gifts?
It’s unlikely that our pets understand what Christmas is. They are aware of a fuss being made, especially when there are more people around and you’re at home a lot more than usual. However, adorning them with pointy hats, reindeer antler Alice bands or elf apparel and uploading photos of them to our social media is obviously more for us than it is for them (but they love being doted on, nevertheless!). We show our love for our pets by giving them Christmas-themed gifts, but they are just happy to get a new toy or a delicious treat and lots of attention!
Including your pets in your Christmas celebrations gives you the opportunity to assess if they need something new (like a new bed, toy, food bowl or collar and leash) and then ‘giving it to them for Christmas’. If you’ve ever wanted to see a pet open up a Christmas present, simply wrap their gift with loose layers of newspaper, placing a few soft treats within each layer. They will sniff out the treats and be able to easily tear open the newspaper to reveal their gift!
5: Pets are not ‘surprise’ Christmas gifts
It’s a very sweet gesture to give someone a soft, cuddly puppy or cute kitten for Christmas, but we need to look beyond the sentimentality (and good intentions) and accept the reality that a new pet comes with a 10 to 15-year commitment. Not everyone is in the physical or financial position to make that kind of commitment, and when the novelty of this surprise pet wears off, the poor animal will become an unwanted burden. It’s never the pet’s fault, yet the pet has to bear the consequences of either being neglected, passed along to an unsuitable home, or surrendered to an animal shelter.
If a friend or family member has planned, prepared and saved up with the intention of adopting a new pet, you can gift them with pet accessories like bedding and blankets, food bowls, toys, treats, or other pet accessories for Christmas. Furry bodies don’t belong in gift bags, so leave the adoption of pets up to the new owner.
Give your pet the best Christmas
Enjoy the festive feeling with your pets – even though they can’t tell the difference between a Christmas-themed toy and a regular toy; a Santa-shaped treat and a regular treat. All that matters to your pets is your love and attention through playtime, training, a nice long walk after your Christmas lunch, and reinforcing the bond they have with their human family.
If you are surrounded by extended family this festive season, the extra people in the house may cause your pet/s some stress. Don’t force your pets to interact or engage, but rather give them a timeout and allow them some space to decompress. Taking your dog for a walk is a great way to burn off some nervous energy, and make sure they have their own space in which to not be disturbed if they need some time alone.
Conclusion
After a long year, there’s a lot to look forward to in the holidays. However, don’t let your downtime detract from your pets’ daily routine. Keep up their feeding, walking, playing, grooming and training schedule as much as possible; keep them safe from potentially harmful food; keep them safe during fireworks displays; and include them in your family traditions.
Always look out for your pet’s wellbeing during the holidays – they’re family too!