AC Pup: Who would've thought Christmas could be dangerous for pets?

Decorating the house for Christmas is such a fun, exciting way to bring the holiday spirit into our homes. We'll pull out all the decorations we carefully packed up last year, make some yummy hot chocolate, put on some Christmas music and begin decorating.

We get caught up in the spirit of the season and the excitement of decorating the house in such a festive way. We anticipate the joy of the parties that will be held, the time we'll spend with family and friends, and all the delicious meals we'll have during the Christmas season.

And then there are the gifts. I'll make my annual visit to Santa to let him know I've been a good boy. I hope he believes me.

Probably the last thing that ever crosses our mind while we're wrapped up in our own Christmas zone is that decorations could be dangerous and cause harm to our own fur family members we love so much. Just when we think we've done everything we can to protect them, we potentially put their safety in jeopardy around Christmas.

I just can't think of anything worse during a beautiful holiday season than to have to spend time at the veterinarian's office for a medical crisis that was preventable. So please take a moment to think about the following hazards, and plan to protect your fur loved one.

If there is anything that's way too tempting for both dogs and cats it's certainly the tree. The tree holds all kinds of adventures for kitties to climb, play and rearrange ornaments. The tree also is a source of fascination by dogs that are intrigued by ornaments and lights.

If you can, please refrain from using glass ornaments that may break or wind up being eaten. Ingesting glass is never a good thing for cats or dogs.

Place strands of lights beyond a dog's reach on the tree, too. The temptation to chew the cords is great, and chewing an electrical cord is usually not a good idea for anybody.

While we're talking about the tree, please be careful with anything like tinsel or ribbon. Kitties love to play with it and even chew it. It can create havoc in their tummies if they eat it.

The next Christmas danger to be aware of is holiday greenery and plants. As much as I love any reason to give sugar, keep mistletoe away from pets. We don't need to stand under a plant to remind us to kiss you. Mistletoe, along with holly and poinsettias, are all potentially poisonous to pets. Please keep them far away from your fur babies.

Finally, there's the food. The warning I would give is that food is not just confined to the table. There may be food items in gifts under the tree. So if you've created delectable baked goods, especially chocolate, as gifts and have them beautifully wrapped under the tree, you may want to consider moving them.

Please remember pets cannot have chocolate. Depending on the type of chocolate, the size of the pet and the amount eaten, chocolate can be toxic. Please take extra measures to make sure pets and chocolate don't meet.

These are just a few holiday safety tips to take into consideration this season. I'll share more in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, enjoy this blessed Christmas season and keep your fur babies safe and healthy.

Send questions to acpup247@yahoo.com. Visit www.acpup.com or like his Facebook page.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 10:10 PM with the headline "AC Pup: Who would've thought Christmas could be dangerous for pets? ."