Pet Safety During the Holidays

The upcoming holiday season is an important time to think about pet safety. As December is the culmination of the year, it also is a culmination of all of our work here at Bark Buckle UP. The end of the year is a time filled with travel, eating, and illumination - either by electric or firelight - that brings joy to our families, including our furry friends. But we must always be prepared for accidents and take precautions to protect our pets as we would our families.

During the holidays, we travel distances far and wide to see our friends and families, and often take our pets along for the festivities. It is so important to make sure your pet is safely secured in a carrier, if you choose to travel by plane, or in a carrier or NHTSA-tested harness secured by safety straps if you choose to travel by car. Unfortunately train travel is limited to non-existent, since Amtrak does not allow pets on trains due to unregulated baggage car conditions, except for service dogs. For more information on Amtrak's service dog policy, please go to their website. For more information on how to secure your pet in your vehicle, please check out our YouTube Channel where you'll find easy-to-follow videos. To see what is required by individual airlines for flying with your pet, either in cabin or as checked luggage, please visit BringFido.com, which has a great compilation of airline pet policies on its site. Lastly, if you don't know which pet carriers, straps and harnesses are NHTSA-tested, check out our approved list of pet products at BarkBuckleUP.com. Please don't ever travel with your pet unsecured in your lap or in an untested product - it is so easy to prevent a travel tragedy this holiday season by being educated and making sure to secure your pet.

Holidays aren't just about travel. We all look forward to the decorations and platters of food that welcome us into this festive time. But we mustn't forget that our pets can't have everything we can. I remember one holiday many years ago when our German Shepherd, Boomer, jumped onto the kitchen counter and devoured an entire pan of fudge. Boomer became very ill and after calling the vet, we had to force the fudge back up (no small task with a sick, 120-pound dog). Boomer was fine after a few days, but it was a close call. Make sure you are prepared for accidents like Boomer's with your pet's emergency information, your vet's phone number, and poison control's number on hand so that if your pet consumes something that makes them sick, you can act quickly. Check out the American Association of Poison Control Centers' website to find your local Poison Control Center's contact information and the ASPCA's site for common household poisonous items. Please remember that foods aren't the only items that could make pets sick - Christmas tree water that has been treated with preservatives, and floral bouquets are also common poisons to both Fido and Kitty. So keep them out of reach by covering your tree stand and by keeping flowers out of paw's reach.

The same goes for candles and fireplaces. December is unfortunately a month that sees many residential fires from candles, cooking fires and faulty Christmas lights. Make sure open flames are monitored and that your fireplace screen is in place. Be prepared ahead-of-time for an emergency evacuation of your home by having a family evacuation plan in place that includes an easily accessible pet carrier containing your pet's vitals. In case there is a fire, and your pet can't be found in time to get out safely, make sure first responders know your pet's information. Also, you can still help donate to support your local fire department's drive to have pet oxygen masks on hand in case your pet suffers from smoke inhalation from a fire in your home. You can also check BarkBuckleUP.com to see if your local agency has already received pet oxygen masks. Since oxygen masks are not designed for snouts, it is nearly impossible for first responders to get a good seal on standard masks and pets can't get the oxygen they need. With the help of SurgiVet, we hope to get masks in first responder's hands in hopes of saving lives.

By being prepared and educated this holiday season, you can keep your trips and homes accident free, therefore keeping your pets safe so they can receive their gifts of chew-bones and catnip mice without a care in their furry little heads. Happy Holidays to you and yours from Bark BuckleUP.