Top Dog Walkers & Pet Sitters in St. Louis
  • Home
  • Dog Walking, Pet Sitting & House Sitting
  • Freshwater Aquarium Cleaning
  • Animal Cage Cleaning
  • Hours & Additional Pricing Info
  • Meet the Owner
  • My Furry Daughter Who Happens To Be a Dog!
  • Testimonials
  • EXPERT Pet Care Blog
  • EXPERT Pet Care E-zine
  • Our Friends!!
  • Contact Us

DECORATE WITH YOUR PET IN MIND, HOLIDAY SAFETY ADVICE FOR PET PARENTS

10/29/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
The leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping, and the holidays are just around the corner. Soon it will be time to hang decorations and kickoff the holiday baking season.

Candles, wires, and chocolate can be fatal for a pet if left too accessible. We urge pet parents to keep decorations that can be a danger to their pet’s health out of reach.

Baking and trimming the tree are often holiday traditions in many pet parents’ homes. As the excitement of the season approaches, we must remember to keep our pets away from dangerous treats and decorations. With so much extra décor and treats in the house, pet parents must keep a close watch on their pets, especially during the holidays, and decorate with their pets in mind, keeping any dangerous materials out of Fido’s reach.

Before including pets in the holiday festivities, take necessary precautions and the following tips into consideration to ensure a safe and happy holiday for the whole family.

Holiday Safety Tips to Remember as you Celebrate the Season
Strangers and large groups in the home can create excitement–and stress–for pets.

Consider these methods for reducing pet stress during gatherings:

· Reduce holiday stress for pets by maintaining regular exercise and feeding routines during the holiday.

· Exercise dogs shortly before a party to reduce stress.


· Provide a private room or area where pets can retreat to avoid the stress.


· During a busy party or day, a pet placed outdoors (including by a well-meaning guest), can be forgotten and freeze. Make sure to check on them during regular intervals.


· Dogs should be trained on how to greet guests–when greeting guests at the door, consider placing dogs on a leash.

General Tips
· Holiday plants with berries can be toxic, cause vomiting or worse, especially holly, mistletoe and poinsettias.

· Candles, incense and menorahs can all be dangerous to pets. Keep them out of reach of pets or have them supervised when lit.

· Potpourri and tobacco products left out can be toxic to pets.

· Be careful how you attach costumes to pets. Pets can choke on rubber bands, string, ropes and ribbons. These items can also cause discomfort if put on too tight or left on too long.

· Chocolates can be toxic and fatal to pets; forego nice displays of chocolates if they will be unattended and easily accessible to pets.

· Provide healthy treats for guests to give to pets.

· Guests should be prepared by letting them know you have a pet or pets, and providing a few simple tips on invitations:
“Please, don’t feed Whiskers, or leave food or beverages where she can reach them.”
“Please stay with the children when greeting and playing with Dusty.”
“Please do not let or take Sparky out of the house without checking in with me or Bob, so we can give you the lay of the land.”
(Unannounced walks will not let you warn the walker about neighborhood dangers).
“Please let us know if you’re bringing a pet.”

· Secure trees to both the floor and ceiling, if possible, to prevent them from falling.

· Pine needles can choke and puncture intestines. If you have a live tree, consider how you deal with this common problem.

· Consider what ornaments you will place on more reachable low-hanging branches. Place ornaments with string hangers vs. metal hooks down low.

· Food on Christmas trees can tempt your pets. Consider whether or not hanging candy canes, ginger bread, popcorn or cranberries is a good idea.

· Make sure pets cannot get at the water in the tree base. Tree water can contain fertilizers and bacteria.

· Tinsel is attractive to pets and can block intestines or choke; consider an alternative decoration for your tree.

· The holidays bring increased use of electrical cords, which can be chewed through and cause electrocution. Tape them over, put them under rugs, or spray them with a nontoxic, bad-tasting ingredient, such as Bitter Apple.

· Many children’s toys have small parts, which can be seen by pets as enticing play toys. Children should know the harm that can come to the family pet if they don’t pick up and put away all of the pieces of their games and toys.



By Sarah Zumhofe


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

      CONTACT US TODAY!

    Submit

    SARAH ZUMHOFE

    Sarah Zum Hofe was born in 1987 in St. Louis, MO- and has since then had a love affair with animals!
                                        
    In 2011, Sarah met her husband, Timothy Zum Hofe through eHarmony, and after 2 years of courtship, they were married in 2013. 

    In 2013 they adopted their first dog, a Morkie, i.e., part Maltese and part Yorkie. They named her Lacy Loo and she is now 6 years old. 

    They bought their first house in 2013, and they now live in Perryville, MO. 

    Timothy has been teaching at Saxony Lutheran High School for 12 years. He teaches religion and social studies and is currently in school to get his master's degree. 

    Sarah Zum Hofe is the founder of Pet First Pet Care, which was established in 2008. 

    Pet First Pet Care opened in St. Louis, and now has another location in Perryville, MO, where the owner currently resides. Pet First Pet Care will continue to expand with new locations across the United States. 

    Sarah has been working professionally with animals for 14 years, since the age of 18. She has been a pet care associate at big chain pet stores and a veterinary technician, and in 2008, finally found her calling and true passion as owner of Pet First Pet Care.

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All
    Interesting Tidbits
    New Pet
    Pet Care
    Pet Emergency
    Pet Health
    Pet Safety
    Special Offers
    Training
    Veterinary Care

    RSS Feed

    Source; www.petsitters.org
    Email Us
    Click for the BBB Business Review of this Pet Sitting Services in Saint Louis MO
    Advertise Here
Protected by Copyscape DMCA Copyright Detector
© 2019 Text and Pet First pet care logo by Pet First Pet Care.
All rights reserved.