A bored, unstimulated pet looks for trouble. That might be shredding one of their stuffed toys, your pillow or sofa while you’re out. Ingested stuffing can cause an obstruction that requires surgical removal and affects your wallet in a most unpleasant way. Other common household items that can wreak havoc and should be kept away from pets include:
Batteries Dental floss Paper clips
Buttons Jewelry Plastic bags/wrap
Coins Razors Thread, yarn, needles
Cotton Rubber bands Trash
Walk your dog daily, so they can socialize and enjoy the sights, sounds and scents outside the walls of their home and familiar yard. Oh, you say you have a fenced yard and a doggy door? Not a fan. An unsupervised pet can fall into a pool or pond, be taken by unsavory characters and sold, or worse. You may believe that your pet goes out, does their business, and comes right back in. They may not be alone. Imagine coming home to find an opossum, raccoon, rat, squirrel, snake or feral cat inside. Surprise!
Stay vigilant while you walk your dog, even when in your own yard. Do you know if the lawn was recently sprayed with pesticide? Lurking outside, in Florida’s lush tropical oasis with invasive bufo toads, snakes and OAP (other animals’ poop) are toxic plants, including:
Aloe Mother-in-law’s tongue
Amaryllis Nightshades
Caladium Oleander
Corn plants Palm seeds/pods
Cycads Philodendron
Dracaena Pothos
Dieffenbachia Schefflera
English ivy Split-leaf philodendron
Golden pothos Tulips
Lilies (almost all) Water hemlock
Milkweed Yew
Speaking of bufo toads, if your dog does come in contact with one: DO NOT flush their mouth with water. That spreads the toxin. Stay calm and gently wipe their mouth out with a clean dry washcloth or two. Call your vet. Monitor your pet’s behavior.
During a pre-adoption home
visit, we verify medications, pesticides and cleaning products are
safely stowed away. These can be fatal to your pets:
Acetaminophen Disinfectant
Aspirin Fabric softener
Bleach Fertilizer
Cancer-related drugs Flea and tick products
Cold/flu remedies Ibuprofen
Detergent Oils (cooking, essential, etc.)
Diet pills Tobacco/other smoke-ables
As we prepare for the holiday season, many of us will cook up festivities, entertain and host friends and family. Tell guests your pets are on special diets, and you need their help by NOT feeding them people food. Instead they can play fetch or go for a walk. Enjoy Thanksgiving, but keep the turkey, stuffing, gravy, bones, ham and sweets away from your pet. Be aware. Trash cans overflow, and delicious aromas emanate from tempting hot containers. Christmas decorations are lovely, but candy, tinsel, poinsettias, holiday lights and trees can be dangerous for pets. A week later is New Year’s with more holiday foods, fireworks (don’t get me started), balloons, confetti, and noisemakers. Make sure your dog always wears a snug buckle collar with ID.
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