Make the Holidays Safe and Fun for Your Dog

The holiday season can be joyous, but it also can create certain dangers for your dog.

It’s a time for family, friends, food and celebrating. Dogs can take part in some of the celebration, but definitely not all. Much of it depends on how your dog reacts to the hustle and bustle of holiday guests.

If you have a shy dog, make sure you set up a quiet room where it has a place to get away from the crowd.

If your dog is people- and crowd-friendly, you might let it become more a part of the party.

Sadly, many dogs run off and get lost this time of year. Be careful when your guests are entering and leaving that your dog doesn’t run out. Make sure you have a collar with an ID tag and best of all have your dog microchipped.

Serve a Holiday Meal

Serve your dog a special holiday meal at the same time you are serving your guests.

Yes, when it comes to holiday meals, there are some human foods that actually are healthy for dogs.

Take regular dog food and mix in a small amount of turkey (no gravy), raw carrots and apples.

Please tell your guests not to feed your dog table scraps no matter how much it begs. Rich, fatty foods can lead to a stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea or, even worse, pancreatitis.

The mesh containers and foil wrappers that candy comes in often are more dangerous than the candy itself, as they can cause choking or intestinal blockage.

Items to Keep Away

A quick list of things to keep away from your dog includes:

• baking and dark chocolate
• macadamia nuts
• turkey bones
• raw poultry
• tinsel
• ribbons
• pine needles
• holly
• mistletoe
• lilies
• poinsettias
• tree water
• batteries
• and candles.

Dogs are curious, so keep things out of their reach, as no one wants their holiday
celebration to end up in a veterinary emergency clinic.

The holidays are a busy time for everyone filled with planning, shopping, cooking and running to and from parties. Set some time aside to spend with your four-legged friend, such as going on an extra-long walk, throw the ball a few extra times or just extra belly rubs. Enjoy some relaxing quality time with your dog … you both deserve it!

Information provided by Bill Kaiser, owner of Pampered Pup’z, 1068 E. Park Ave., Libertyville.