The holidays can be a hectic enough time without dealing with a health scare for one of your family pets. Your local veterinary clinic can handle emergency visits around the holidays, but having a pet get sick or hurt -- especially because of something that was easily preventable -- can greatly disrupt your family get-togethers. You don't have to lock your family pets away over the holidays to avoid running into problems. Instead, ensure that your holiday decorations and even your habits at this time of year don't increase the risk of problems with your pets. Here are three pet-friendly holiday tips.

Keep Tinsel Out Of Your Decorations

There's no disputing the visual appeal that some strands of shimmery tinsel add to your tree or elsewhere in your home, but cats typically find the sparkle of this thin accessory to be too much to resist. Your feline friend can put the end of a strand of tinsel in its mouth, and because the strand is long, swallow the entirety of it in a flash. While some cats might be able to cough up the material, the reality is that its length can pose a problem and prompt a visit to the veterinary clinic. You can avoid this issue by not including tinsel in your decorations. Remember that tinsel high above the ground isn't safe, either, given the climbing ability of cats.

Stick To The Normal Diet

You might want to share the good cheer around the holidays by feeding your pets more, but doing so can carry a number of different risks. Giving a dog its share of the holiday turkey might seem like a kind gesture, but your pet can easily choke on a turkey bone or have trouble with the greasy nature of the skin. Make sure your children don't share their sweet treats with your pets. Chocolate, for example, is a toxic substance to dogs and a pet that ingests it will often need emergency vet care.

Avoid The Use Of Candles

Candles add beauty to any holiday display but can also pose a burn risk to your pets, not to mention a fire risk to your home. Tall, floor-standing candles can easily be knocked over by a dog, while candles on higher surfaces can be bumped by climbing cats. Stay away from scented potpourri-style decor items, too, as they can contain hot oils that could leave your family pet with an oil burn.