Holiday Wellness Tips: A stress-free season for you and your pet

The holiday season is full of sparkle, excitement, and delicious food, but it can also disrupt your pet’s routine and introduce stressors. Visitors, changes to schedules, tempting treats, and unfamiliar sights and sounds can all challenge your furry family members. With a few simple strategies and some nourishing, natural tools, you can help pets stay calm, healthy, and happy throughout the festivities. 

One of the easiest ways to include your pet in the celebration is with a holiday bowl. Big Country Raw’s Holiday Dinner offers a seasonal, dog-friendly meal that stays true to your pet’s raw feeding routine and makes a great fresh food topper for pets that enjoy another type of diet. For an extra nutritional boost, topping the meal with raw Goat Milk provides probiotics, healthy fats, and a creamy texture that supports digestion while keeping mealtime exciting. Dog Nog is a seasonal favourite, made from raw goat milk, egg yolk, cinnamon, and pumpkin powder. This holiday classic has the same incredible benefits of goat milk, including promoting a healthy digestive system and strengthening the immune system. 

Busy holiday schedules can leave pets with energy to spare, which may lead to boredom or destructive behaviours. Tools like slow feeders, puzzle toys, and durable treat-dispensing toys provide mental stimulation, while extra walks, play sessions, or social time at doggy daycare offer structured outlets for energy. Mental engagement is key to keeping pets happy when routines are disrupted.  

Festive lights are part of what makes this season special. Take a walk around your neighbourhood, or one nearby, to let the lights and displays brighten the season – and don’t forget to take the dog! 

And while you’re out and about, if you have the time to make the shopping trip a bit more relaxed, there are several Canadian stores like Canadian Tire, your local pet store, and many local outdoor or holiday markets that allow well-behaved, on-leash dogs to accompany their shoppers. These kinds of trips are triple benefit – physical exercise, socialization, and they help build the relationship bond. It’s a win, win, win. 

Many customs, activities, treats, and items that the holidays bring are safe for pets, but the holidays do bring some that are a safety risk for our four-legged friends. Many plants; mistletoe, holly, lilies, and even Christmas tree water can cause illness if ingested. Decorations like tinsel, ribbon, and small ornaments may pose choking or internal injury hazards. And though it’s great to share treats (in moderation) with our pets, there are some, including chocolate, grapes, xylitol-sweetened treats, cooked bones, onions, and rich gravies (and others) that are unsafe. Keeping these items out of reach and reminding guests not to feed table scraps helps prevent emergencies.  

Many veterinarians advise that they see an increase in pancreatitis in pets during the holiday season. Food that may be considered “safe” for our pets, in large quantities – especially those high in fat, can disrupt digestion and cause an inflamed pancreas.  

The holiday vibe is generally one of fun and cheer but for our pets, the changes in routine, unfamiliar visitors, travel, or noisy gatherings can trigger anxiety. Amidst holiday chaos, consistent routines provide stability for our pets. Setting up a quiet retreat: a bed, crate, or tucked-away room, gives pets a safe space to decompress. Maintaining regular feeding and walking schedules anchors their day, supporting both physical and emotional well-being. 

Though we try to keep our lives as stressless as possible, sometimes our pets need some calming support. Thrive Relax Chews are formulated with ingredients backed by science, research, and testing to help pets settle more easily. These chews are especially useful for dogs that are naturally nervous, reactive, or sensitive to environmental changes that are common during the holiday season. 

With nourishing meals, engaging play, safe outings, and a calm, predictable routine, you can help your pet thrive amidst the holiday hustle. A little planning goes a long way in keeping tails wagging, paws busy, and stress at bay. Celebrate the season with joy, care, and plenty of together-time - because the best holiday memories are made with your four-legged family by your side.