See tips to enjoy the end of the year with your pet in a safe and pleasant way!

This was a year in which families lived closer together than ever before! The pets became even closer to their tutors, being present in home offices, attending meetings, participating in online events and bringing out even more the importance of the small moments that really have value in our lives.

When fraternizing with the family, there’s nothing fairer than getting ready to include these furry friends in the party who accompany us throughout the quarantine. So, we prepared some care tips so that these moments are very beneficial and safe:

Keep small objects out of reach

Care must be taken not to leave small objects that might attract attention when biting or swallowing. A very common example is the Christmas tree, which, as it contains many ornaments in toy formats, ends up drawing the attention of animals, especially cats.

Other common objects at this time can also pose risks, such as lighted candles, packaging and ribbons. That’s why it’s always important to be careful that they don’t swallow the decorations or even bite the lights and end up getting shocked or hurting themselves.

Watch out for toxic plants

Another point of attention are some Christmas plants that can be toxic to animals. If your pet has come into contact with this plant, some symptoms he may present are vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, salivation and dermatitis. In this situation, take your pet to the nearest veterinarian.

Keep an eye on the broken glass

At end-of-year parties it is common for accidents to happen with broken glass, bottles, glasses or even ornaments, which can cause physical injuries to pets. To prevent someone from getting hurt, the best thing is to wrap the broken glass in newspaper or some more resistant material.

See more about Dog fur: learn how to care at home

Be careful with the food

It is normal that some tutors want to please pets with snacks or foods available at the dinner table. However, many foods for human consumption are toxic to animals, and can transform a simple gesture of affection into serious health problems.

To prevent this from happening in your house, we have separated some examples of common foods at end-of-year parties that are highly toxic to pets:

  • Chocolate (chocotone, bonbons, desserts in general)
  • Grapes and raisins (panettone, rice with raisins)
  • Food seasoned with garlic and onion
  • Alcoholic beverages

When ingested by pets, these foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea, apathy, dehydration, paralysis and, in many cases, can lead to death. Unfortunately, the treatment of these poisonings is only palliative, and small doses of these foods can already make it impossible to save the animal’s life.

Other foods deserve special attention when being close to animals, such as bones in general (turkey, chester, chicken, pork shank), fish bones (cod) and seafood.

It is important to be aware of these foods and always contact a veterinarian. To prevent accidents from happening, there is a wide variety of snacks and specific foods for animals that can be offered to them during the get-together.

Beware of excessive noise

In these cases, pets can show signs of fear, stress and anxiety, sometimes even resulting in fleeing from their home, in an attempt to seek shelter or hide from the noise.

Thinking about this scenario, we separate some guidelines:

  • To minimize the intensity of the noise, a cotton swab can be placed in the animals’ ears, removing it when the fireworks are over.
  • It is important that the owner transmit calm and security to the animal at this time. Punishments can worsen the animal’s stress situation.
  • If the animal has to be alone, it is necessary to keep it in a closed and safe environment and, if possible, where the noise can be less intense. Windows and doors need to be closed to minimize sounds and prevent escape.
  • If possible, you can move the furniture away to prevent the animal from trying to climb and end up injuring itself.
  • If the environment has protective screens, especially when it is a house that has cats, it is interesting that the screens are checked to ensure the protection of the animals.
  •  It is important that pets are always on their collars with nameplates containing the owner’s phone number.
  •  For animals that already show symptoms of anxiety with fireworks, the companion’s company during this time will make them feel more secure. Try not to leave him alone.
  • See a veterinarian for further instructions to ensure your pet’s safety. Only he can suggest the use of a medication (if necessary) and help with specific therapies for this type of disorder.

If you liked the tips, leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!