The Top Holiday Pet Hazards and How to Avoid Them

The Holidays are here and while you might be stressing out about what to get your niece for Christmas, Fido and Max are stressing out because there are so many new changes and smells going on in and around your house. 

Ornaments on the tree, candles, tinsel, ribbons and wrapping paper. There's holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, and a tree in the living room! Grandma's creme de menthe brownies are resting on the counter and there are Christmas candies in every dish at dog-nose level!! The family will be over so Uncle Rob can feed his Turkey scraps and basically everywhere your pets turn, there is another hazard staring them in the face, or worse, taunting them.

Be smart this holiday season and make certain you, your pets, and your wallet stay out of the ER vet. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are soaking in the holiday spirit:

Decorations & wrapping material like ornaments, candles, tinsel, ribbons, and wrapping paper are fun toys. Even worse, homemade ornaments from flower and salt can become a tempting treat as this family tragically learned.

Picture from Facebook of Hope Pospisil with her family and dog Lexi who they lost to her consuming a handmade ornament of salt and flower.

My cat has already been batting around the bell hanging low on our tree but that's OK because we hung the dangerous ones up higher.When my family starts opening gifts we have a designated ribbon roller and any tinsel goes right in a trash bag.

Our tree is fake but if you have a real one please avoid putting any tree additives in the water and change the water frequently, this is just another bowl from which your pets will drink. The tree preservatives that can be added to the water will definitely have you off to the ER, or inducing vomiting and hoping you got it all up.

Poinsettia's are beautiful but they are very toxic to our friends, consider the silk variety, definitely more expensive up front but they last longer and never need to be watered!

When uncle Rob tries to sneak his turkey skin to Fido from under the table go ahead and ask him up front for $1000, and his car keys, that's the minimum it will cost to handle the pancreatitis that it could cause, and that is hoping your dog makes it through. Stash the brownies in a pet safe container (or in my house, the microwave becomes a safe storage place).

Hide your electrical cords or spray them with some vinegar and cayenne pepper to deter any chewing.

Your home can still host the holiday spirit but just put some thought into how each change, addition or family member could be a hazard to your furry family members. 

Take a Pet CPR Course Online or In Person

Most cats cannot attend classrooms, due to the stress it puts on them.  A video demonstration is necessary to teach this method.  Here, Gerard Armour demonstrates a technique to safely restrain a cat.

Whether you are interested in taking a Pet CPR and First Aid Course because you're concerned about the health and safety of your pet, OR because you are earning a credential for your business, you'll have several choices in providers.  One of the key decisions you'll need to make before purchasing your education is whether to attend a class in person or to learn online.  There are important factors to consider listed in this blog, by Pet Health Academy.

As the world moves online, industries are following at a rapid pace.  Sometimes the technology gets ahead of itself and there is a disconnect between the technology and the user.  What this means is that either the technology isn't ready (which can lead to errors and bugs), or the user interface is too complicated, requiring high technical competency to use the product/service.  These factors can potentially cause the companies interested in using the technology to recoil and go back to the "tried and true" methods of the past.  Those companies will suffer as their customers will continue to demand better service, products, and access to them.  For example, forward-thinking companies like amazon.com have revolutionized the shipping industry by implementing high-level inventory management and order fulfillment software, thereby taking over a large percentage of retail sales.  Not only did they take market share from other online retailers, but also big box retailers who use conventional retail sales methods.  Amazon.com's customers can simply search for the products they desire, pay for them, and track the shipments.  The customers don't need to be tech savvy to gain access to the products they desire. Web browsers, search engines, and other software has become user-friendly and amazon.com has capitalized on that, making its products available to the masses.

Here is a thumbnail from a video of a Husky seizing.  This dramatic moment was captured on video in order to share it, helping other animal lovers to recognize seizures.

As is often the case, companies that offer more traditional services and products, with less access to capital, (like local small business) are behind the trend.  The pet care education industry, until recently, had been clinging to "the old way."  In order for pet care professionals to get access to high quality Pet CPR and First Aid Courses in the past, instructors would have to rent out rooms in local businesses, organize class schedules with individual students, as well as set up and break down equipment (like tables, chairs, projection screens, etc.).

Now that e-learning has been made popular, accessible, and credible, Pet CPR and First Aid Certification is available in its best form, online.  Instead of simply reading a document, watching a youtube video, and then taking a test, educators such as Pet Health Academy can create an engaging and interactive e-learning platform.  The earning management software they use is reliable, flexible, and highly customized. Instead of considering the limitations of e-learning, people are now touting the advantages of learning online.

See the video below which demonstrates how high-quality video content can provide a user experience unavailable in a traditional classroom setting.  This close-up gives a view unavailable when in a room full of students, not to mention the ability to pause, rewind, and watch the video repeatedly, until the student has mastered the skill and learned the material.

For those students who are uncertain about whether a high-quality, thorough education is attainable in an online format, need only search for online college degree programs.  Thanks to the innovation of software developers and universities throughout the world, education is accessible to a larger percentage of the population.  Pet CPR and First Aid Certification is just one example, but it is a clear example as it demonstrates the overall trend in the e-learning community.