The holidays are such a joyous time, making memories and sharing traditions. One of my favorite holiday traditions is driving through the Dr. Phillips and Windermere neighborhoods looking at the beautiful lights and decorations. After driving around the local communities we go to our favorite place to pick out a fresh cut Christmas tree. Although these seasonal festivities are enjoyable, they can also become a haven for accidents of all kinds. As a kid, I never was excited about my parents holiday tradition of making the family practice our fire escape yearly routine, but I sure know that it’s one that I will be doing with my own family one day.
By taking a few precautions, we can make this wonderful time of year a safe one for everyone, including our beloved pets.
Tips to help keep your home safe from FIRE:
-Indoor or outdoor electrical outlets should not be overloaded with light and decorations, etc…
-When burning candles make sure they are in a stable holder, not left unattended, placed out of reach from children and animals and set away from Christmas trees, windowsills, decorations and anything that may catch fire
-Extinquish everything that is burning before leaving the house or going to bed
-This is a great time to routinely check your smoke detectors and replace batteries to ensure they are working properly
-If you have a fireplace have it inspected before you light your first fire of the season
-Christmas trees should be kept away from any heat source such as fireplaces, candles, ashtrays, portable space heaters, radiators and electrical outlets. If your tree is real, the needles become dry and flammable and if you have an artificial tree, make sure that it is labeled “fire-retardant”
-In case of a fire, make sure that your family has a plan for getting everyone out safely
Keeping KIDS happy and healthy during the holiday:
-If you host a holiday party where alcohol is served, take care to remove all bottles, empty and partially empty cups. Even a small amount of alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning in children
-Practice food safety to eliminate chance of food poisoning. Wash your hands, utensils, dishes, serving plates and anything else that comes in contact with raw meat, fish, poultry and raw eggs before and after use. Store leftovers properly and reheat them thoroughly before eating
-Keep breakable ornaments and decorations out of a child’s reach
-Small children tend to put things in their mouth, especially if it’s new to them. Be cautious of things that can block their airway or cut them such as tree needles, light bulbs, tinsel, peanuts, popcorn, ornaments and hangers, icicles and other small items and toys
-Holiday themed plants may be pretty and festive but also may be poisonous to children. Mistletoe, poinsettias, holly and Jerusalem cherry plants are just some of these potentially dangerous plants that should be kept out of reach
-When cooking, reduce the chance of burning or scalding by keeping the oven door closed, pot handles turned away from the front of the stove to avoid getting knocked, watch children at all times if they are helping and keep them out of the kitchen if they are not. Also, Keep kitchen appliances clean and free from debris to avoid potential fires
Children and animals do not know what is bad for them. We as their parents and providers are put to the task of making sure we keep them out of harms way. Just like children, there are a lot of potenially hazardous things for ANIMALS that increase around the holiday season:
-Keep animals out of the kitchen while cooking to avoid tripping/stepping on them, spilling and burning them
-Although those sad puppy dog eyes are tempting for just one piece of chocolate, this can prove fatal for some animals, especially dogs
-Human food can cause severe gastrointestinal disturbances in your pet and can be fatal. Also, inflammation of the pancreas is a very common disease of dogs and is frequently caused by the eating of table scraps.
-Provide your pets with chew toys and bones that are made for animals, not the bones that you get from your holiday turkey or chicken. These bones can be sharp and often become lodged in the mouth, throat and digestive tract causing perforation in the stomach or intestines
-Toxic plants for your pet include Mistletoe, poisettias, holly, lilies and many more. check with your Veterinarian for a list of all hazardous plants for your animal
-Lit candles should be kept out of reach to avoid getting knocked over or burning your pet
-Electrical cords can cause severe burns and sometimes fatal electrical shocks if chewed. Puppies love to chew.
-Always keep the following products out of pets reach:
1. Antifreeze
2. Prescription and illegal drugs
3. Rodenticides
4. Xylitol
5. Grapes, raisans, onions, garlic and macadamia nuts
6. Actaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
- On a Christmas tree there are other potentially dangerous things for your pet:
1. A live tree is often coated with chemicals and if the contaminated
water is drank out of the stand, your pet may become sick
2. DO NOT USE TINSEL! This is very dangerous because it is shiny, flexible and attracts pets. There is a good chance tinsel will become wrapped around their tongue, cutting sensitive tissues in their mouth and stopping circulation of blood to the tongue. If swallowed, it can block the intestines and usually has to be surgically removed
3. Be cautious of using edible ornaments on the tree and wrapping edible things under the tree. Your pet CAN smell these things and WILL be tempted to have a feast
4. Avoid using sharp things such as glass ornaments that can break and shatter and ornament hooks that can cause severe problems if swallowed
5. Make sure your tree is secure and sturdy so that your pet cannot knock it over
6. Tree needles, real or articficial can be sharp and are non-digestible
7. You may want to “pet and child proof” your tree by keeping objects on your tree out of their reach
During all the holiday activities, we must not only remember the well being of our own families and pets but also those less fortunate. All of us at TeamConnect hope that you have a SAFE and joyous holiday and a wonderful new year!
