How to have stress free holidays with your pets.

With all the holidays fast approaching, I want you to be prepared to keep your pets happy, healthy and relaxed.

Dangling ornaments. Rich food. Brightly blooming plants. Parties. No matter what your species—human, canine or feline—there’s a lot to love about the holidays. But in the wrong hands, er, paws, those same things can cause everything from a bellyache to a bite to a trip to the emergency room. Here are three ways to avoid common mistakes that turn holidays from happy to horrible.

First Aid musts

Having a bottle of rescue remedy on hand for yourself and them as well as activated charcoal in your first aid kit doesn’t hurt either!

I don’t know about you but Christmas trees, tinsel, blinking fairy lights, glittery baubles and gift wrapping are irresistible to my motley crew of  four cats and  two dogs.Often times we are totally unaware of the dangers lurking around the house over the holidays we find pleasing but can be a death trap for your beloved pets.

In this video I want to share some of top ways to avoid visits to the emergency clinic by safe proofing your home and keeping harmful foods that will make your dogs and cats sick or even lead to an untimely death. The more you are aware of the potential dangers to your beloved pets in your home, the more you can relax and enjoy your celebrations without stressing out about keeping them out of trouble.

Do you know what plants are toxic for your beloved pets that you should avoid at all costs?

Be mindful of bringing scented candles or burning essential oils that can poison your pets or burn them or your house down and also the insidious addition of more and more artificial sweeteners like Xylitol creeping into pre mixes and store bought cakes and cookies. Read the labels carefully and keep anything you don’t want your pets to get into, out of reach if you have a great dane like my Rover who cruises the counters.

Place holiday greenery out of reach or decorate with artificial plants. At best, pets nibble on live décor and then throw up, usually in the middle of your tree-trimming party. At worst, plants such as mistletoe, holly, lilies, and amaryllis can cause mild to severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, difficulty breathing, and even death if a pet eats their berries, leaves, or bulbs. Mistletoe is especially toxic and can kill within hours.

Tie down the tree. To protect it from being knocked over by playful dogs or climbing kittens, use fishing line to anchor the tree to the ceiling or wall. You may also want to surround the tree with an exercise pen or other barrier to prevent pets from chewing electrical cords. To further discourage chewing, encase cords in sturdy cable covers. Avoid decorating with tinsel or ribbon, which can be damaging or even deadly to pets if swallowed.

If you have a cut tree, make sure you change the water often and put some mesh over it so your pets don’t feel tempted to drink that yucky water which often has toxins in it from the sap.

Safety first

Safety matters, but an equally important way to keep holidays happy and pet-friendly is to maintain a normal schedule as much as possible, especially when it comes to mealtimes, walks, and playtime. You may be busy, but your pet isn’t. Spend a few minutes one-on-one with her every day. She’ll appreciate the attention, and you’ll benefit from the downtime as well.

 

I would love to hear what your dogs and cats love eating over the howl-i-days that is healthy and maybe a little strange.

Have you taken the dosha quiz to understand what your animals personality type is and give you more confidence in the aligned asha type diet to keep then healthy and content?

I am trying out this bot thingie to keep you up to date wth all the latest news and hacks to keep your pets healthy.

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To download my special bone broth recipe instantly please go to my Facebook page and type BONES in the Message Me box. Your pets will love that you are going to cook up all those yummy boney goodness for them and keep their guts calm, healthy and free of inflammation. Who loves diarrhea or constipation yuck L-(

 

Wishing you all happy, safe, loving holidays