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| Emma By aBrown |
Guardians of greyhounds,
be aware this season
of holiday dangers
that lurk beyond reason.
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| images.google.com |
Although our dogs see and feel our excitement, they have no concept of why. We dress them up to join us in our Halloween diversions not asking them of their preference. At Thanksgiving, good intentioned relatives may feed them foods (dogs are always hungry) that aren’t healthy or wise for them to consume. And at Christmas, decorations can pose their own series of complications. Knowing how much we love our animals, it is a good time to think about the dangers that lurk for them at this fun and joyous time of year. Following that thought, a reminder of some simple ways we can protect our fur kids during this holiday season might be helpful.
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| images.google.com |
Halloween is right around the corner. (I still haven’t completed my costume for a party tomorrow night, YIKES.) It’s fun to dress up for Halloween, but that doesn’t mean that your dogs will like wearing costumes. Both the ASPCA and PETMD suggest that you don’t dress up your animals unless you are sure that they like it. It can cause undo stress if they can’t breathe, see, or hear properly. Keep them away from pumpkins with candles or other lighted decorations. Those yummy treats are a great enticement to them (as well as to me), so keep them out of reach. Front door activity with scary creatures arriving every few minutes may cause anxiety to your dogs. Make sure that their temperament is good for greeting ghouls and goblins and that they don’t escape through that door. Having up-to-date id tags on them is a must, but putting them in a quiet room might be the safest bet.
Whew! That was a lot of information, and that was just the first holiday.
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| images.google.com |
Thanksgiving is all about family and food. Again, that party atmosphere may be puzzling to your greyt-hounds causing unease, and the food smells are sure to drive them a little crazy. (Just talking about this is making me gain weight.) AKC reminds us that turkey bones can cause a choking hazard, so keep them away from your pets. They can also splinter once digested. Your holiday table as well as tempting garbage smells may lure your dogs into risky behavior.
Now for Christmas. That Christmas tree with all of the lights and ornaments means festive times to you, but can be a cause of danger to your greyhounds especially the ones who have just become members of your family. They have never seen anything like this before and may inadvertently do some damage. Take care to watch your animals around the tree. Ornaments, tinsel, electrical cords can trigger your dogs curiosity and make them want to investigate. Mistletoe and Holly can cause problems if ingested so opt for some artificial plants or keep them well out of reach. Lastly, make sure that those pretty burning candles are not left unattended.
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| images.google.com |
Did I scare you yet? This post was not to scare you off from your holiday fun, but rather to avoid potential problems before they happen. We humans get so wrapped up in our responsibilities that we sometimes overlook simple things that keep our pets safe. Being aware before is much better than being sorry later.
Have an extraordinary holiday season with your greyhounds and enjoy every minute. Their enjoyment rests on nothing more than your presence and love.
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| Picabay.com |
Happy Holidays!!
Resources:
akc.org, Dogs and Holidays
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