For many people, the best part of the winter holiday season is the time spent making memories with friends and family. That includes our animal family. Such a busy time of year can be fraught with mishaps, which is why pet parents will want to take extra care to make sure any animals in the home are safe and secure during holiday festivities. Because accidents do happen, and animals are not immune from that bad luck. Nationwide recently analyzed 1.2 million pet insurance claims to determine the most common holiday hazards for pets. The slideshow above illustrates the top reasons for holiday pet-insurance claims, according to Nationwide. The carrier regularly surveys common holiday pet problems. As with most insurance claims, the costs associated with pet-insurance claims swelled in recent years. What steps can pet parents take to keep their animals safe during the holidays? "The majority of holiday-related health hazards are preventable, which is great news, but it does mean taking some extra steps to ensure that everyone in the family can safely enjoy traditions," Nationwide Vice President of Pet Health and Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jules Benson said in a recent blog post on the topic. "When it comes to preventing holiday health emergencies, it's important to consider your pet's personality. Our data shows that certain breeds and younger pets are at a higher risk for things like foreign body ingestion. Pet parents should also take time to see their house from their pet's perspective and pet-proof accordingly." Related: Do you know what pet insurance doesn't cover? Pet proofing the home includes: |

• Surveying whatever objects are at a pet's eye level and removing potential hazards.
• Finding dangerous objects that could be easily knocked over by a pet.
• Securing exposed cords, wires, low-hanging ornaments or candles.
• Making sure animals cannot access Christmas tree water, garlands, candy dishes or floral arrangements.
• Block off hazardous areas of the house; crate pets if needed.