Along with the fun and excitement of the holidays come certain precautions that need to be taken when you live with a dog. Alot of us are real party animals but not everything that becomes a part of your holiday celebration is good for us. I asked my assistant, otherwise known as my human, to research some of the holiday plants, foods and other materials that can cause problems for dogs. Here’s what she found.

Holiday Plants – mistletoe, holly berries, lilies and poinsettias are poisonous for dogs. If you have them as part of your holiday decor, make sure they are out of “chewing” range.

The Christmas tree – where do I begin as the Christmas tree presents so many different ways for us to get into trouble. The opening to the tree stand should be covered with foil or mesh to keep us from using it as a holiday water bowl. The water might contain harmful fertilizer from the tree, bacteria, or chemicals to help preserve the tree. Tinsel and angel hair are big no no’s as they can cause major gastric emergencies if we eat them. Give careful thought to the ornaments you put on the lower branches. We usually try to eat anything that sparkles and catches our eye. Electrical cords can look like a new chew toy to us so make sure they are tucked safely away out of our reach. Be mindful of any wrapped presents you put under the tree containing food or candy. They most likely won’t stay wrapped for long and the present is also likely to disappear only to reappear later…….I think you get the point.

Food & Drink – what can I say about this subject other than most dogs are not very discriminating eaters and will eat just about anything you give them, especially if it smells good. However, not everything on your holiday menu should be on ours. Some examples include fatty foods, chocolate, raisins and currants found in fruit cakes, sugarless candy or gum containing xylitol, and alcohol. Make sure your holiday guests know that Santa will put them on his “naughty” list if they give your dog anything to eat that you have not approved.

Toys & Treats – new toys should only be given to us when you can be there to watch us and make sure we aren’t going to destroy them and swallow something that we shouldn’t. New treats should be given to us sparingly until you know how our tummies will react.

It’s a good idea to have the telephone number for the nearest emergency veterinary clinic for any after hours emergency.  Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital  503-228-7281; Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin  503-691-7922;  ASPCA Pet Poison Control  1-888-426-4435.

The holidays can be a fun time for you and your dog.  You just need to “dog proof” your home the same way you would “kid proof” your home for the holidays.