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Hi jan cashel,

It's time to put up the holiday tree.

While Christmas trees delight us in so many wonderful ways, they can also be dangerous.  In addition to fire hazards, your holiday tree could cause safety issues for your pets. That's why it's so important for pet owners to make sure they have a pet-safe tree.

If you are thinking about putting up your tree, or if you just put it up, take a minute to look over our pet safety tips for your holiday tree. Thousands of Christmas tree related pet injuries are treated every year. We've seen everything from dogs eating the pine needles and chewing on cords to trees actually falling over on them. It is really amazing to consider all the different problems that a holiday tree can cause. And it's even more amazing how our adorable pets just seem to seek out that trouble!

Last year I saw an 8-year-old dog that had never bothered the tree before, but he chewed on a glass ball on one of the branches and cut his mouth badly. He never bothered the tree in 8 years, and then boom - he decided to do something silly. If it happened to this dog, it could happen to your dog. So please make sure your tree is safe. The last thing you need during the holidays is an emergency trip to your vet.

Until next time,

Hi jan cashel,

Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is just around the corner. That means it's time to prepare for company. When you prepare for company and you have pet, there are a few things you have to consider.

1. Clean up pet hair . Let's face it. To get rid of stubborn stuck-on pet hair, you have to clean like crazy. If you have a pet, you know how frustrating pet hair can be.

Vacuum. Vacuum the floors, bedding and furniture. Bissell makes a set of awesome attachments just for cleaning up pet hair, and they fit all major brand vacuum cleaners. This set is called the Bissell Pet Pack Universal Accessory Kit . It works really well and is inexpensive. It will allow you to vacuum contours on furniture, stairs, crevices and more ... and it picks up pet hair easily. Check out this set. It really works well.

Sponge. A dry sponge can be used on furniture to help ball up hair for easier removal. For most, it is more effective if the sponge is dampened slightly.

2. Clean your dog.

Brush your pets. Brush your dog and remove all dead hair. A good comb or brush works well, and the  Bissell ShedAway vacuum tool  works even better. It quickly and effectively removes all the loose hair from your dog and sucks it right into the vacuum cleaner ... so there's no need to clean up hair from your floors, furniture and clothing afterward. The Bissell ShedAway attachment hooks right to your vacuum and fits all major brand vacuum cleaners.  Nothing works better to remove dead hair.

Bathing also works well to remove dead hair ... and it makes your dog smell good.

3. Wash bedding. Your dog's bedding (and yours too, if your dog sleeps with you) is filled with hair.

Wash bedding. Wash the bedding at least weekly. Buy beds with washable covers or lay a blanket that can be easily laundered over your dog's favorite resting spots.,A common recommendation is to use different materials to cover furniture and to wash the covers weekly. "Slip covers and blankets are great for covering up furniture because they can just be thrown in the washer."


4. Deal with Odors.

Clean. The best way to remove odors is to use a good quality odor remover. Vacuum, clean and wash anything that you can wash (such as bedding), and then spray it with an odor remover. Our favorite odor product is Zero Odor  This product enzymatically neutralizes the odor molecule so it really works. We haven't found anything like it.

Start cleaning now. Take it one room at a time. Make sure you deal with both odors and hair.

Until next time,

Dr. Jon

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