by Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM

The Holidays are upon us! This means tasty treats, special decorations and, undoubtedly, a trip to the vet’s office. This time of year is usually just as stressful for our pets as it is for us. Our furry little family members have the tendency to fill their bellies with everything from dangerous “people” food to pine needles, brightly colored glass bulbs, and tinsel. And that’s only the trouble they can get into indoors!  Here are a few holiday tips to keep everyone happy through the New Year.

5 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe

1. Keep your pets protected from the frigid temperatures.  If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your pet. Offer a little extra food during the winter months because more calories are burned trying to maintain body heat.
2. Pet-proof your Christmas tree.  Anchor the tree with fishing line; use expendable, pet safe ornaments toward the bottom; put netting around the base to prevent drinking the tree water; spray a red pepper and  water solution onto the tree to discourage needle eaters.
3. Holiday pet food No-No’s.  Keep your pets away from alcohol, yeast dough, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, chocolate, coffee grounds, garlic, onions, chives and bones.
4. Healthy holiday pet foods.  Pumpkin, cranberries, green beans, broccoli and sweet potatoes, are healthy snacks for your pets.
5. Ease your pet’s holiday anxiety. You can also feed a your dog a little bit of Turkey. Just as the Tryptophan makes us sleepy, it can also have a calming effect on your dog’s nerves.  Or you can use something like Bach’s Rescue Remedy , a natural stress relief formula.

Dr. Carol Osborne is an author and world-renowned integrative veterinarian of twenty plus years. A pioneer in anti-aging medicine and longevity research for pets, she created and patented the original PAAWS: Pet Anti-Aging Wellness System for dogs and cats. Dr. Carol holds both the dog and cat scientific patents. Learn more at: http://chagrinfallspetclinic.com