When it comes to celebrating the holidays, it's natural for many to want to include their pets in the festivities.
However, Dr. Marie Lance of Lance Animal Hospital in Gainesville says it's wise to remember that holiday decorations can pose a danger to pets. One of the most hazardous is actually a Christmas tree.
Lance spoke on WDUN's "Mornings on Maine Street with Bill Maine" Thursday and said the best thing to do is keep the tree out of reach of pets if possible.
"You may need to back it into a corner or kind of tuck it in with furniture. They do make gates, if you have a very rambunctious pet, that will gate them off to that room or even around the tree," Lance said.
She said the water that feeds live trees can be unhealthy for animals.
"Make sure your tree skirt is tucked up over the top of the base," Lance said. "You can actually put foil around it because that looks kind of shiny and festive."
Another threat posed by Christmas trees are the electric light wires hanging down and going into the wall.
"Make sure you cover the cords or tape them down," Lance said. "We do have cases of pets biting through cords which can obviously cause very severe injury."
To hear more from Dr. Marie Lance about pet safety during the holidays, click play on the audio above.
