Hanukkah, the festival of lights, is a wonderful time to spend and celebrate with family and friends. With eight nights of festivities, it’s important to take precautions in keeping your fur family safe and happy.
2 of our founding dogs, Schnitzel and Pepper, are ready for their Hanukkah celebration!
Keep The Menorah Out of Paw’s Reach
The menorah is one of the most important traditions of Hanukkah. Many families choose to make their Menorah the centerpiece of their dinner table. After dinner is over they leave the room while the candles burn down. The burning candles can be dangerous for both humans and their pets. Lots of pet’s love to check tables for forgotten scraps and can easily knock down the burning candles, causing a fire.
A great safe solution are battery-operated candles. They can come in many shapes, colors and sizes, and will save you a trip to the store every year for refills. If you prefer flame-lit candles , it is important to place the menorah at unreachable heights or in a room that is pet-free and not close to flammable items.
No sharing the Hanukkah Feast!
There are many traditional foods that are served during the eight nights of Hanukkah. Although we want to include our pets in all of our favorite treats and traditions, they are not safe and sometimes even toxic for pets. Latkes (potato pancakes are fried in oil and contain onions, which can poison your best friend. Super popular and delicious sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) are full of sugar and a hard NO for pups.
When celebrating Hanukkah, keep dogs and cats away from the kitchen. Also, make sure to tell your guests not to share their leftovers with your pets, as they can be quite dangerous to their health. Keep all human food and leftovers out of pets’ reach, and secure your trash.
Also Read - 10 Reasons Why You Should Foster a Pet
GELT AWAY!
Gelt, which is chocolate in the shape of gold coins, are fun to sprinkle around the table as decoration. They’re a Hanukkah favorite of most adults and kids, but super dangerous for the fur babies! As you may know, chocolate can be toxic to pets. It has an ingredient in it – theobromine –that pets can’t digest, and even the smallest bite of chocolate can cause diarrhea. Plus, the wrapping on gelt can’t be digested and can cause a dangerous blockage in their GI tract.
It’s best to keep these out of reach of both pets and unsupervised small children –who may want to share with their furry BF’s.
Dreidel Safety
Spinning the dreidel is a fun tradition, but it’s not if you have to keep pulling it from your dog’s mouth. The dreidel is the perfect size for a choking hazard, and its spin is super tempting to play fetch with. So try to keep your dreidel play out of reach from your dog or cat.
Gift Wrapping
Eight nights of gifts mean A LOT of ribbons, bows, and gift wrap. Your pets may think that these are toys for them to enjoy, but they can become choking hazards. Cats are especially attracted to ribbon and string, so keep these out of reach to prevent an emergency trip to the Vet. Keep a bag or can nearby to throw out of trash immediately, and warn guests to do the same.
TIPS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT BOND VET:
Here are some ways to keep your furry friend safe while still including them in the holiday spirit of Hanukkah:
- Keep food out of your pet’s reach. For cats (and some dogs), this may mean you need to cover up food that’s on the table or kitchen counter.
- Inform guests that table scraps can be dangerous to your pets. Secure your trash cans so your pal doesn’t dive for scraps.
- Latkes are traditionally made with onions, among other ingredients, and they can give your animal Heinz body anemia—a condition that causes a lower red blood cell count. Onions should be considered as toxic as chocolate to your fur baby and should be out of their reach.
- Make sure that the silver and gold coins are out of your pet’s reach. These typically contain chocolate, which is toxic to both cats and dogs. As children often receive these during the holiday, ensure that these delicacies don’t end up on the floor or in places that are accessible to pets.
- Hanukkah would not be the same without the spinning of the dreidel. Unfortunately, dreidels pose a threat to household pets. Like any small object, they can become a pet safety hazard. But as long as the dreidels are put away after use, your family can still enjoy the age-old tradition. Nevertheless, Hanukkah dogs and cats should be able to join in on the fun.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Call 212 624-BOND
Have a middle-of-the-night, early-in-the-morning, or just-can’t-wait medical question about your cat or dog? We’re here for you 24/7. Give us a call at (212) 624-BOND — a veterinary professional will answer your questions, walk you through next steps, and let you know if a visit to the ER is necessary. We’re pet parents, too, and know there’s nothing like peace of mind for your pet, especially for the price of $0.
Also Read - How to keep Santa's furry little helpers safe during Christmas!
PRIDE+GROOM was born because 4 New York City dog lovers wanted the same level of grooming products for their dogs that they themselves enjoyed. They looked (hard) but nothing was up to snuff. Or sniff. Like so many, we love our families and take pride in our homes, and we consider our pets to be integral parts of those entities. That said, we could not find an effective way to coif them that was on par with the way we tended to our children, our homes, or ourselves. These beloved pets are allowed on the furniture and in our beds, and yet even when fresh from the groomer, we knew they did not smell or feel as good as they could.
With the development of our coat-specific shampoos, conditioner and deodorizing spray, we think we found just the way to say thanks for being the best and the sweetest MVP of the house.
PRIDE+GROOM is the first dog grooming brand launched under a beauty platform, with formulas made in a clean beauty and scent lab. We know beauty is not only skin deep. We did a ton of research to create the entire line. Each product is formulated with its own unique blend of essential oils sourced from around the world.
IN DOG WE TRUST
Shop our entire line: www.prideandgroom.com
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