Holidays with dogs: Be careful with the Christmas decorations
To have a lovely, reflective Christmas, there are a few essential things you should be aware of as a dog owner. Some elements of Christmas decorations can be dangerous for dogs; therefore, a few safety precautions are helpful.
Especially with puppies, young and very lively dogs, they should take a few precautions regarding Christmas decorations around the festival of love. It is simply full of exciting new impressions that can make the four-legged ones curious and tempt them to play with it, disassemble it into its parts or eat it. These are the decorations you should keep an eye out for:
Edible Christmas decorations
Christmas curls, cookies, and chocolate: while cookies and candy contain too much fat and sugar for our four-legged friends, eating chocolate can turn out dramatically, causing poisoning and heart problems – large amounts can even be fatal. So better put the Christmas sweets out of reach and offer your four-legged friend an alternative, so he doesn’t get any ideas in the first place: chewy bones and toys are not only more exciting but also much more dog-friendly!
Dangerous tree decorations
Christmas decorations such as tinsel pose the risk of animals getting tangled up in them, and they also contain lead and are therefore toxic. If swallowed, poisoning, internal injuries, and a dangerous intestinal blockage can result. Glass or porcelain Christmas balls break in a flash when played with and can seriously injure dogs with their fine splinters. Therefore, place fragile Christmas decorations out of reach of your four-legged friend. Non-hazardous ornaments made of wood and straw are a good investment if you want to play it safe.
Other Christmas hazards
Spray snow is toxic to dogs and is one of the decorative elements you should do without altogether. It would help if you were especially careful with candles; your dog could get too close to the flames and get burned. Electric fairy lights, placed so that the dog can’t chew on them and get electrocuted, are a good alternative.
You should also be careful with wrapping ribbon and wrapping paper – if your dog feasts on it and swallows it, it is dangerous and poisonous. Always keep a close eye on your four-legged friend and put the wrapping material away as soon as you have finished wrapping your Christmas presents.
