Creature Comforts Pet Services, LLC

Compassionate care for your friend

pet first aid

January 2nd is National Pet Travel Safety Day,

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but it is also a great time to assess and upgrade best practices for transporting your dog or cat safely.  Whether you’re heading to the vet or groomer, off to the park, or hitting the road for vacation, travel safely.  Thousands of animals get injured and die in car accidents every year.  During a collision, a 50-lb. dog riding in a 30-mph car will experience 1,500 lbs. of force if thrown from the vehicle. Newton’s first law of motion states, “a body in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force,” so even after brakes are applied, an unrestrained pet will continue 30, 40, 50 mph or more until something stops him. Sadly, what stops him may be the dashboard, seat back, or windshield, all of which can cause devastating injury. 

If the pet survives the accident but is not restrained, he may escape through a window or door, broken or opened by the impact, only to end up being hit by an on-coming vehicle.  According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), animals moving around in cars are the third worst distraction to drivers, ranking behind children and cell phones.  Additionally, if you are injured in an accident, your protective Chihuahua, Poodle or Rottweiler might prevent paramedics from quickly offering aid out of fear of being bitten, so Animal Control may first need to be called to confine your pet. Their protectiveness may delay emergency personnel from providing you much-needed medical assistance, so restraining your pets in motor vehicles is a win-win.

Pets Safety Tips and your Holiday Tree

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Whether artificial or real, you must look out for your pets when decorating for the holidays. To keep dogs and cats safe, here are four pet safety tips concerning the holiday tree:

1) Male dogs and cats pee on trees.  It is that simple, so when their pee station moves indoors, it becomes confusing when you say, “No!”  Consider leaving your tree undecorated for a day or two, teaching pets to stay away before you decorate. Also, choose the location wisely.  Do not place your tree in front of the window Fido watches for the mailman or the windowsill kitty suns herself daily.  To keep pets away, a short white picket fence around the tree may look festive, or giving them their own new and interesting thing to check out may do the trick. 

2) To further dog or catproof your tree, try bitter-scented sprays or position oranges, lemons, or grapefruit underneath, but only if you know these citrus scents are unappealing to your pet.  Attaching the tree, with an invisible fishing line, to a cup hook in your ceiling, could prevent it from falling over should your cat decide to use it as a jungle gym.  Of course, never place candles on the tree and tape down light cords so that pets cannot chew or get caught in them, but always supervise when any fixtures are plugged in. 

3) Never tempt pets by hanging dog biscuits, popcorn garlands, candy canes, or other food items on your tree.  Also, take care with scented packages (i.e. food, soaps, potpourri) placed underneath as well as ribbons, tinsel, ornament hooks, and string.  Any of these objects inside your dog or cat can be CAT-astrophic!  

4) Real trees require water, so cover the tree water securely with foil, plastic wrap, or a plastic lid with an “X” cut through (where the trunk goes).  The oils seeping into the water from the tree are toxic!  Additionally, cut trunks are often coated with preservatives and pesticides, so your pet will get sick and need quick veterinary care if he drinks tree water!  Pine and fir needles are sharp and can cause digestive upsets, so pick up any needles that drop before your pet ingests them or gets them caught in a paw or fur. Fake needles are not safe either if consumed, so monitor pets around ALL holiday decor.  

When you have a dog or cat, you have a furry toddler for their lifetime, so being mindful of potential problems and keeping dangers out of paws and claws reach can keep ‘the merry’ in your holiday season. Make it a New Year’s resolution to sign up for a pet first aid class by contacting Theresa at Creature Comforts or check out www.creature-comforts-pets.com  for 2025 classes!