'Tis the season to be jolly, not to be going to the ER vet. So please keep these pet safety tips in mind while you enjoy your holiday:

Hounds love to investigate what their humans are doing and the sound of crumpling paper attracts them. That can spell trouble for deliveries and gifts that include packaging materials. Be sure to look through the packaging carefully before letting your hound play with it. Cardboard boxes can be the best toy ever, so long as no one chews on a heavy staple. And any plastic packaging material, especially plastic bags, poses suffocation and digestive risks. Keep it all out of reach and away from your dog's head. 

If you wrap presents for your pup, remove all tags and packaging first. Once your pup gets a present unwrapped, you're probably not going to get it back. Forgo ribbons and bows. Dogs don't appreciate them the way humans do and they likely contain unhealthy glue or staples. Regardless, they are a digestive risk. Be sure to supervise all of your hound's present unwrapping - that might mean you need to keep hound and human presents out of reach until an appropriate time.

Remember that candles can burn snouts or get whipped across the room by a tail. They need to be out of reach and supervised when lit. Electric lights wrap around legs and potentially electrocute pups when chewed. Other decorations, such as glass ornaments, tinsel or garland, can cut, block intestines, choke, and otherwise prove to be dangerous as toys. Additionally, fresh Christmas tree water often includes additives that are unhealthy for pets. Keep an x-pen around the tree (or Festivus pole, if that's your thing) to keep everything a little safer. 

Many holiday plants pose mild digestive all the way up to severe toxic risks, including pine needles, holly, mistletoe and poinsettias. Please keep these plants away from pets and someplace where the leaves cannot fall within a dog's reach. Symptoms of plant poisoning vary but are usually digestive. If you think your pup might have ingested any of these plants, be in touch with your vet immediately.

And finally, keep in mind that human holiday foods are often bad for dogs. For instance, chocolate is well known for its toxicity to dogs, whether it is in candies, donuts, or hot chocolate. Latkes usually contain onion, which can cause Heinze Body Anemia in both dogs and cats. Do your pup a favor and keep all the goodies out of reach. If you have a counter surfer, keep everything behind closed cupboard doors. 

  

We hope you and your hounds have a wonderful holiday season. If you would like to help a GALT foster hound celebrate with a gift, please visit our Amazon Wish List. And if your hounds dress for the holidays, please send a photo to socialmedia@galtx.org to enter our holiday costume contest. The photo with the most likes on Facebook will win up to $25 in GreytStore merchandise! Happy holidays to all!