‘Tis the season for putting up decorations and eating delicious holiday treats, but that also means pets could be getting into serious trouble!
Trupanion, a leading provider of medical insurance for cats and dogs, sees a 10% increase in foreign body ingestion claims and a 24% increase in toxicity claims during the holiday months each year.
Hang decorations with care. The top five festive foreign body ingestion claims come from tinsel, ribbon, turkey bones, mistletoe and ornaments and cost an average of $1,400 to remove. Try to keep decorations out of pet’s reach and supervise them whenever possible.
Be mindful of cords. Tape down electrical cords and always unplug them when you aren’t around to supervise your pets.
Choose plants wisely. Holiday plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, holly leaves and berries are poisonous to dogs.
Cover the tree water. Keep your dogs from drinking the Christmas tree’s water by keeping a cover on it and ensuring they have plenty of fresh water to drink.
Make your pet their own treats. Avoid feeding your pup scraps from the table, many of which are poisonous to them, and make them their own pet-friendly snacks such as these festive recipes.
Be prepared with pet medical insurance. The holidays are a busy and expensive time of year, but pet medical insurance gives you the peace of mind that, if the unexpected were to happen, your dog would receive the best care possible regardless of financial burden.