The holiday season is a time of joy, love and giving gifts to your loved ones. However, it is also a time to be extra vigilant with your pets.
If you have dogs or cats you need to be really careful about the holiday plants you display inside your home.
Around Christmas time there are so many BEAUTIFUL plants that you might want to purchase to decorate your home for the holidays and friends or family may even give you one as a gift.
But please DO NOT put any plant in your home where your pets will have a chance of accessing it - some plants can be extremely poisonous and dangerous if your pet ingests it.
You might think putting these plants in a pet-free area in your house is all the precaution you need to take, but, I have heard so many stories where people say “I put it in the bathroom, so I thought it would be safe” - then someone left the door open and their cat got in and ate it, became very ill and had to go to the emergency room.
It is better to steer clear of them altogether to avoid a potentially fatal mistake. While you might know which doors need to remain closed to keep pets out, your holiday guests may not and may inadvertently give your pet access to somewhere out-of-bounds.
Before putting any plant in your home, you should take the time to look up if it is safe for your pets to ingest. Now I know the internet is full of contradictory advice, so the best place to look up if a plant is toxic to your animals is the ASPCA . They have an extensive database and printable list that you can put somewhere safe in your home for easy access.
Some of the top toxic holiday plants include:
Poinsettia
Lily
Holly
Yew Tree
Snowdrops
Amaryllis
Laurel
It is best to leave these types of plants outside where your pets cannot get to them. However, remember that if you do have these plants around outside, you will need to supervise your pets out in the garden so that they do not get into them.
If you have a real Christmas tree in your home, you should keep your eye on the needles. If they are falling off and your pets are eating them, they can be really dangerous and cause some horrible health issues - they can puncture the wall of the GI system and can cause blockages if too many are ingested. If you have one of those curious kitty’s who are always in the tree or eating things they shouldn’t, it may be a good idea to skip the real tree this year to avoid a Christmas accident.
If your pet does get hold of something they shouldn’t this festive season, here are the Poison Control numbers you will need. Program them into your phone now so you have them on hand in the event of an emergency. It’s also a good idea to add some activated coconut charcoal to your pet first aid box in the event of a minor GI upset.
