The holiday season is the most exciting time of year for your pets. Consider it from their perspective: a towering tree filled with brightly colored objects that dangle from the branches. For dogs, the appeal of a tree is obvious. For cats, those dangling objects are just too hard to resist. And those branches ... one enthusiastic rub against them could sent that tree toppling. And the cords hanging from the tree are waiting for a set of little teeth to gnaw on them. Scattered tissue paper and wrapping paper on Christmas morning makes a nice snack, and so does the food fest throughout your house -- the candy dish on the coffee table, the turkey on the counter, the cookie that your niece left in a napkin on the chair. By the time the holidays are over, your pet could be facing serious gastrointestinal distress or worse. You can't always predict the unpredictable, particularly when you're opening up your home to guests, but you can take a few measures yourself to help prevent any accidents -- and to keep your pet safe and happy this season.

With all of the guests taking up temporary residence in your home, it's very likely that your beloved pet will be banished from his usual sleeping quarters ... that is, unless Aunt Mildred wants to share her warm bed with your four-legged friend. Assuming the answer is a resounding no, this is the perfect time of year to pamper your pet by purchasing a warm dog or cat bed. If your cat or dog isn't an outdoor/indoor pet already, this isn't the time to introduce him or her to the great outdoors. Chances are good your pet is already feeling a bit ill at ease, given the proliferation of unfamiliar faces and voices in your home.

But if your pet is accustomed to spending some time outdoors -- and if temperatures in your part of the country stay well above freezing at night -- you can keep your dog in a well-insulated doghouse overnight, provided that it's true to his or her size. If the doghouse is much bigger than your dog, that extra space will be filled with cold air, and you're going to find a "popsicle" the next morning. Puns aside, it's cruel, period. The doghouse also should be raised off the ground so that if it rains overnight, your pet will remain dry. If you don't already have a pet door installed in your home and you give your pet access to the back yard on a frequent basis, it's time to think about purchasing one. If temperatures drop suddenly during the night, or if a noisy storm begins, your cold and/or frightened needs to have access to the indoors.

If your pets for any reason get out of the house during freezing conditions, they face the serious risk of frostbite and/or hypothermia (potentially fatal lowering of body temperature). The areas most vulnerable to frostbite include your pet's paws and the tips of the nose, tail and ears. If you believe your pet may have frostbite, call your veterinarian immediately. You can prevent the onset of frostbite by removing any ice chunks on your pet's feet after a run outside, and by regularly trimming the fur around the pads on their feet; the growth of this fur can trap ice chunks.

During the holidays, we bring elements of the outdoors indoors. Pine trees, garlands and mistletoe are draped throughout the house, and all of them are potentially fatal temptations for your pet. Consider a single pine needle. It's not hard to experience the discomfort these needles can produce; the act of reaching into your Christmas tree often causes your hand to jerk away. Imagine what these needles could do in your pet's digestive system. They can become stuck in your pet's mouth, throat or esophagus, making it extremely painful to swallow and producing such side effects as loss of appetite, vomiting or worse. Because you can't remain on guard 24 hours a day to ensure that your pet doesn't wander near your Christmas tree, you may consider confining him or her to an area of the home away from the tree while you're at work or away during the evenings. When you're at home, keep an eye on your pet, make sure your tree's base is covered with a tree skirt, and distract your pet from those pine needles with catnip, chew toys, bones and other pet treats.

While you're not about to stop draping Christmas lights on your tree and throughout the house, you can prevent your pet from chewing on cords. First, drape them around your tree relatively tightly so that they don't hang from branches. Push the cords deeply inside your branches, out of your pet's sight. And tape the ends of cords to your walls, behind your tree. The less cord left dangling, the lower the risk of nibbling or tripping. lighting the menorah, advent wreath or decorative candles, keep pets in another room where paws and claws can't reach them. With electrical lights, remember to tape exposed electrical cords to walls or floor to ensure no chewing or tripping. If you use tinsel, use it sparingly and push it deeply into the tree, as well. Tinsel could cause serious stomach upset for your pets. Be careful about the ornaments you hang from the bottom half of your tree. Anything that dangles excessively or that contains items easily chewed should be moved to the top.

Who could resist a pointsettia at Christmastime? That goes for your pet, too. Both pointsettias and holly contain poisonous substances that could kill your pet if they're ingested. We've all heard that those red berries dangling from mistletoe are dangerous. What's dangerous for humans is magnified for your pet. The berries have been known to cause lowered blood pressure in animals who snack on them, and those waxy, pointed leaves have caused gastrointestinal distress, convulsions and even death. If you plan on purchasing any of these items of greenery, place them high above your fireplace, on top of a high piece of furniture or some other inaccessible spot. Your kitchen table, a window sill or coffee table are all fair game for the agile cat or determined dog.

And while you're clearing your coffee table, remove the candy dish. Chocolate contains a potentially fatal toxin called theobromine. Dogs, in particular, have fallen victim to theobromine's effects after consuming large amounts of chocolate candy -- wrappers and all. So keep your candy in the cupboard, out of sight and out of mind. And speaking of wrappers, make sure that as you're ripping open those Christmas gifts that you're immediately stowing the wrapping paper and tissue paper in a garbage bag.

You can help keep your pet distracted this year by presenting him with a Christmas stocking filled with healthy chewables and toys. Give him or her lots of attention. Your pet's stress level is during the holidays, not only due to your guests, but also due to the unusually high level of activity throughout your home. Stress and the feeling of neglect often lead pets to search your home for something to gnaw -- whether that's a cord, leaf or other dangerous object. Being mindful of your pets' feelings and treating them like members of the family is probably your best defense against preventable home accidents.

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Published: December 16, 1999

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