The most festive holiday of the year is already here and people are looking forward to celebrating this with friends and family, which also include pets. However, because this festivity often entails a lot of things to do like decorating the home and preparing for parties, it is easy to overlook the dangers that Christmas decorations pose on pets.

In order to keep your four-legged friend safe throughout the holidays, there are simple measures to take into consideration to avoid a trip to the veterinary hospital.

1. Secure the Christmas tree

Dogs and cats are playful and you may wake up in the morning with a knocked out tree in the living room. Make sure to fasten your tree to the floor so that it cannot fall over when the pets play and no one is around.

2. Decorations and ornaments

These are non-toxic items but pets like shiny things, especially cats, so there is high tendency for them to play with the tinsels around the house. The danger here is that furry friends can ingest small items and this is serious.

Aside from choking, the item can cause animals' intestines to get twisted. As much as possible, place shiny ornaments out of the pets' reach.

3. Toxic plants

There are some plants that have always been associated with Christmas, however not all plants are safe for pets. Not knowing what are safe and harmful to pets can be fatal.

For safety guide, Veterinary Pet Insurance shares a list of "Christmas" plants that are considered toxic for pets:

  • Pine needles - this can cause vomiting, irritation in the mouth, diarrhea, trembling and lethargy.
  • Holly - if ingested, pets can suffer from diarrhea, sever vomiting and even depression.
  • Mistletoe - severe vomiting and diarrhea, can affect the pet's temper, can cause hallucinations and finally death if ingested.
  • Poinsettia - although this is not deadly, it can cause inflammation around the mouth and stomach.

4. Christmas lights

Lights have cords and pets can get electrocuted if they start chewing on the cables. To avoid this risk, run the cords through a PVC pipe.

5. Decorating with candles

Never leave pets around lighted candles. They can topple a candle over with just a wag of their tail and this can cause a fire. The melted wax can burn the fur and skin as well.

"Although candles add an air of festiveness to your home's decorations, they can be a danger not only to your pets, but people as well," said Elisabeth Giedt, director of Continuing Education, Extension and Community Engagement at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University.

Moreover, incense and scented candles must be avoided if there are birds at home.

"Birds have a very efficient respiratory system that makes them particularly susceptible to airborne toxins and smoke inhalation," said Ian Kanda, vet tech at Avian, Exotic and Zoological Services at the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Taking preventive measures for pets during the holidays will make sure that no accidents will occur. Keep these tips in mind and enjoy the festivities without worrying about the safety of your furry friend.