Holidays and Your Pets: Things to make sure they don't get ahold of

Along with the normal list of things not to feed your pets that I have discussed in Man's Best friend Vs Food: Things you should never feed your dog, here are some things that will help you out around most of the major holidays. I suggest you read the other article first, so you have an idea in your head when you read through this one.

Champagne: Alcohol.
Confetti/champagne poppers/fireworks: Toxic if ingested.
Any party food: Who knows what's all in that food the animal can't eat. Tomato, potato (chips, salad etc) onion, garlic... We get the idea. Table food is a no no.

Candy wrappers: They are not digestible and may cause impactions, and the coatings on the wrappers can be toxic if ingested.

Easter Eggs: Same reason as before there is a protein in the egg that keeps the dogs body from using other proteins in its body.

Artificial grass: That squiggly colorful stuff found in Easter baskets... can get into animals digestive tract and tie up their intestines, and cause impactions not to mention its toxic to them. Can cause vomiting as well.

Cats especially seem drawn to the artificial grass, not sure why. But it can hurt them.

Fake eggs: Those plastic eggs that you fill with things. Not only can the animal get what's inside and that hurt them, breaking into the egg can create sharp edges and cut their mouths, stomachs, whatever it comes in contact with.

Easter Baskets: The wood ones if chewed on can create splinters. And most of the paint used to color them is toxic if ingested.

Chocolate Bunnies: Chocolate. We know this one. White chocolate ones too.. Anything with the word chocolate to it, keep it away from your pets.

Sugar free candies: Xylitol. We know this one too now because of my other article.

Peeps: Tons of sugar. And we know this is bad for them. Diabetes and dental issues.

Confetti/champagne poppers/fireworks: Toxic if ingested. Burns and death if the fireworks are lit and they go near.
Hotdogs: Majorly processed food. Can cause pancreatitis, diabetes, inpactions, diarrhia, vomiting and in extreme cases death.
Potato Salad: Its potatoes.
Anything with onions and garlic

Pretty much all the cook out food.

Christmas trees: Can fall on them, and drinking the water under them is toxic. Trees ooze a toxin when they are cut. Its a self defense against bugs and disease.
Tinsel: Same as Easter Basket grass. It is toxic, and it can cause a lot of digestive track maladies.
Ornaments: A lot of the older ones (if you've inherited a few from family etc) are painted with lead paint, and blown using lead methods. Along with the lead, eating them causes sharp objects to be introduced to the digestive system causing lacerations and impactions in the intestines etc.
Presents: They cost a lot of money, and all that paper/wrapping/ribbons/bows can impact and possibly poison them with the colors, the ribbons can choke, and tie them up like the tinsel. Not to mention whatever the present is. That could be harmful also.

If you let your dogs open their own presents, make sure that you watch them. Take all the tags and wrappings off of toys before you wrap, so they can just go play with them. Get all of the paper away from them afterwards. I usually just stuff their stockings with their presents, if they are small enough, so I don't have to worry about wrapping paper getting swallowed.

Make sure no matter what holiday, If you get your dog a stuffed toy, make sure the toy does not have the button or 3d plastic looking eyes. Opt for no eyes, or the sewn on embroidered eyes. Those eyes can cause choking. And if your dog is like my Eenah, she likes to tear eyes off, then discards the toy to another dog. No eyes to chew off... She plays with the toy and doesn't lose interest. Strange cookie I know.

I also would not get those plastic chew toys that are cheap. Cheap toys are ok, but the ones that are cheaply made can really hurt your animal. Eenah can have one of those plastic toys into bits in under 10 minutes. Then all those little bits turn into hazards.
I do not get toys that are rope-stuffed animal combos, or rope - something rubber/plastic combos. They are barely together most of the time and they get ripped apart easily and all that stuffing or little plastic chunks can be dangerous.
Those Nyla-bone creations that say they are digestible? I don't see how. The chunks that go in, come out in the same chunks. I was lucky not to have an impaction or choking. So stay away from those.

I know there is a lot of hype about real bones etc. I like real bones and do not endorse rawhide. Animals chew on real bones in the wild. Just keep an eye on them and take the bone away when it gets too small. Good rule of thumb, looking from the side of the dog, the distance from the eyes to the tip of the nose. If the bone is shorter than that distance it can be a choking hazard. I would either take it away at that point, or start keeping a closer eye on it until its half of that, then take it away. Seems wasteful I know, but I rather waste 0.25 left on a 2.00 bone than a few hundred even a few thousand dollars on getting my dog repaired.

This article is not to scare you. You can't make your pet live in a bubble. But as a responsible pet owner you have to keep things in mind. Animals are like having permanent 3 year old children running around. Always putting their mouths on things, and constantly getting in trouble when they think you're not looking...

I hope this helps.

If there is a holiday you would like me to add please leave me a comment, I have no problem going into other holidays. But as you know there are hundreds. I didn't want to make this a 18 page hub. So I chose the most Nationally recognized ones.