Christmas Safety Tips

Santa with an Ottawa pet

Holidays are a busy time for everyone, but it’s important to keep your pet safe at this time of year.

Here are a few tips to follow:

Don’t use tinsel on your tree. Animals might swallow it, leading to injury — and expensive surgery!

Block the water trough around the tree to keep your pet from drinking the water. It might be dirty and contain pine needles, which pets can’t digest.

Secure the cords on your Christmas lights to prevent your pet from chewing on them, and keep animals away from open candle flames.

Keep your pets away from mistletoe, holly, poinsettias and amaryllis. If your pet eats these plants, it could make them very sick.

After gifts have been unwrapped, discard or store wrapping paper and ribbons, which could be dangerous toys for pets.

Don’t feed your pet table scraps or sweet treats. Christmas turkey could contain bones, which are dangerous, and chocolate is toxic for pets to eat!

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